The Mortal Instruments: City of Tears
by Lady Fandom
Summary: Clary and Jace run across a peculiar, young girl who can't seem to remember who she really is and has evidently been treated quite horrifically in the past. When Magnus finds that he knows the girl, the group uncovers a horrible plot against Downworlders.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Jace made a face at Clary as they walked out of the diner. The door shut behind them on Isabelle's shouts. Twenty minutes earlier, Simon had accidentally spilled her drink all on her brand new dress.

"I may not be too fond of Simon, but I still feel bad for him anyway. I wouldn't wish Izzy's wrath on any guy," Jace said, wrapping his jacket tighter around himself. Then, he looked at Clary, noticed her shivering, and quickly slipped out of the leather jacket. When he tried putting it over her bare shoulders she pushed it away.

"I'm fine. Really, I'm not going to freeze," she told him—though she was lying. She felt like such an idiot for wearing a tank-top with just a tin slip over it in the dead of a Manhattan winter.

"You need it more than—" Jace was cut off by a loud scream, followed by the clanging of metal.

Before Clary could react, Jace was already racing toward the alleyway that the scream had come from. When Clary skidded to a halt in front of the alley, she saw Jace kneeling over an ugly demon. The glowing seraph blade in his grip was embedded in the back of the demon. With an ear-splitting screech the demon crumpled in on itself, sent back to the dimension it'd come from.

Looking around for the source of the shriek, Clary's gaze fell on a huddled figure. Stepping closer Clary saw that it was a young girl, not much younger than herself. Grimy, brown hair hung in her face, and her blue eyes were glassy with fear. The girl was shaking—no wonder, all she had on was a hospital gown—and her trembling fists were clutched tightly to her chest.

Crouching down in front of the girl, Clary cooed, "It is okay, you're safe now. We're not going to hurt you."

Clary put her hand lightly on the girl's shoulder. She flinched at the contact, but didn't move to push Clary's hand off. Smiling warmly, Clary turned to Jace. "Give me your coat." She spoke softly so as not to startle the girl. Jace nodded and started back toward the front of the diner where he'd dropped it.

When Clary looked back at the girl she looked straight into the girl's wide, frightened eyes. There seemed to be a plea in those eyes, a plea for…what? She couldn't tell. Then, the blue eyes shifted to something behind Clary. Following her gaze, Clary saw Jace coming around the corner, jacket in hand. Behind him, Isabelle and Simon were talking loudly.

"What do you mean you found a girl?" Simon was asking then he caught sight of Clary and the girl and stopped dead. Isabelle's hand flew to her mouth with a little gasp, and she rushed forward, un-wrapping her scarf from her neck. Jace gently knelt in front of the girl.

"Can you stand?" he asked, his tone friendly but serious. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded. Unfolding her arms from her chest, the inside of her arms flashed. Clary nearly choked. The girl's forearms were speckled all over with scabs from repeatedly being injected with needles.

Seeing Clary's reaction, the girl coiled back in on herself, tears pooling in her eyes. "Oh no. No, I'm just horrified that anyone could do that to you."

After a moment of uncertainty, the girl stood slowly. Reaching for the jacket in Jace's hands, Clary saw that the girl had webbed fingers. _Warlock,_ Clary concluded. Jace helped her shrug on the jacket, and then Isabelle folded the silk, red scarf around the girl's neck. Clary couldn't help but feel a little surprised at Isabelle's generosity, but she supposed even Isabelle could be soft in situations like this.

"Here," mumbled a sympathetic voice behind Clary. She turned to see Simon gazing sadly at the girl, his coat held out for Clary. "She needs it. I don't." That was completely true. Simon was a vampire, and felt neither heat nor cold.

With a gracious smile, Clary took the jacket. "Thanks." After the girl had pulled on the second coat, Isabelle asked,

"What's your name?" The girl looked kind of confused for a moment. Finally, she replied,

"I think I used to have one, but I don't remember it." Clary raised her eyebrows and exchanged a glance with Jace.

"Well, come inside and tell us what happened to you," Jace coaxed, putting his hand on her shoulder. She let him guide her out of the alley. As he passed Isabelle, he whispered something into her ear. She nodded and started digging in her purse. Clary joined Simon, and they followed Jace and the girl back into the diner.

"What did he say to her?" Clary asked Simon, quietly. His superhuman hearing could come in handy sometimes.

"He told her to call Magnus, though I'm not sure why."

"Probably because he's the High Warlock, and she's a warlock."

"How do you know?"

"She had webbed fingers." Simon nodded as he held the door open for Clary. As they all settled into the booth, the nameless girl stared at the table without really seeming to see it. "Well, first off we need something to call you by. Do you have a name you want us to call you?"

The girl looked at Clary with clear, sky blue eyes. Silently, she shook her head.

"I think she looks like a Katherine," Jace announced, smiling at the girl. Clary glared at him.

"We can't just give her any old name. It should be special if we're going to call her it."

"Why don't we ask her what she thinks?" Jace looked at the girl expectantly. Clary couldn't help but look at her too, but when she did, she instantly regretted it. The girl seemed to be becoming more frightened by the moment. "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. I didn't think it was that bad."

"You scared her off with your horrible naming—" Simon was suddenly cut off by a loud cry.

"Citalee!" A whirl of glitter flew past Simon and blanketed the girl. Magnus Bane was squeezing the life out of the girl he'd just called Citalee in an enthusiastic embrace.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to Malec4ever for your review (and by the way, if your username means what I think it does I LOVE it!) If you enjoyed this story you might like to check out my other fan fiction, **_**Morganville Vampires: The Founder has a Boss?**_** Gracias! :)**

**Chapter 2**

Clary craned her neck to look behind her. Standing in the doorway was Isabelle, an astonished look on her face. Alec stood in front of her with a mixture of shock and anger spreading across his features. The first to find their voice, surprisingly, was the girl in Magnus's strangle grip.

"Um, have we, uh, met?" Quickly, Magnus pulled away, a frown forming on his brow.

"Yes, Magnus, please _do_ introduce us." Alec's voice was brimming with rage. Magnus's cat eyes flashed in the light as they moved from Alec to the girl and back. Then a look of understanding dawned on his face.

"Honestly, Alexander. There's no need to be jealous." Alec tried to interrupt and say he wasn't jealous, but Magnus held up a hand, silencing him. "This girl, Citalee, is my younger sister."

"Sister?" All of them exclaimed at once. Even Citalee joined in. Magnus looked purely surprised at Citalee.

"Well, of course. I know it's been a long time. I thought you were—" Magnus choked off, finding it suddenly difficult to breathe. "I thought for the longest time that you were dead. That awful fire…" Again he trailed off, his eyes looking far into the past.

"I'm sorry, but you must be mistaken. I haven't got a brother," admitted Citalee. "And I'm quite sure that the name I had wasn't Citalee." Magnus looked speechless.

"I don't think Magnus would quite count as a _brother_…" Simon muttered to Clary with a grin. She jabbed him in the ribs.

"Citalee, you really don't remember me? It's me Maggie." Jace and Simon stifled a laugh at Magnus's apparent nickname. But Magnus ignored them. He was looking at Citalee with a hurt expression.

Alec, no longer infuriated, moved to put a hand on Magnus's shoulder. "Magnus, maybe you're mistaken—"

"No, Alec, I'm not. I think I would recognize my own little sister, even if she was adopted."

Something like realization sparked in Citalee's eyes. "Wait, you say you adopted this Citalee. How old was she when she joined your family."

"You were around nine when we found you, Citalee."

Citalee bit her chapped lip thoughtfully. "I think you adopted my twin sister, sir." Magnus stood stalk still as he looked down at her for a moment then choked,

"Twin?"

Magnus looked so pale that Clary thought he might faint. Alec circled his arms around him protectively when he swayed. Smiling faintly, Magnus took Alec's hand in his. "I'm alright. I was just so hoping…"

"I know Magnus. It's okay." Clary had so rarely seen this side of Alec. It made her want to hug him.

"Well, it sounds as if we've got two very interesting stories to hear," Jace said, lacing his fingers behind his golden head. Alec pulled chairs up for Magnus, Isabelle, and himself. Once Magnus had made himself comfortable, he began,

"There's not much to tell. My mother, the human of my parents, and I were walking in town one day when we happened across a young girl huddled under a trashcan lid. She was a pitiful thing. And she smiled at me, so I knew she could see me, even through the glamour." Magnus paused, watching Citalee's sister for a reaction. When she simply looked at him, he continued. "My mother brought her back with us when she saw Citalee's webbed fingers. We lived together for a long while; I suppose until she was fourteen. Then, one day, my mother and I came home to find our house a heap of charred ruins. We couldn't even find Cita—" Magnus broke off, his hand rushing to his mouth. Alec was holding his other hand and soothingly stroking his arm. "After that, I searched for Citalee for centuries. I've never stopped looking."

There was a long silence while Alec cooed quietly to Magnus.

"That must have been my sister. You see, when we were very young, we were taken from our parents to a lab," Citalee said.

"A lab?" Jace asked.

"Yes, a lab with horrible men in long, white coats. They kept saying that we were filthy, disgusting, and that we had no right to be alive." Citalee scrunched her face in distaste. The way she talked and acted it seemed almost…childish.

"Do you know who they were?" Magnus asked. Clary could tell he was trying to conceal his rage. He obviously still felt protective of the girl, even if she wasn't his real adoptive sister.

Citalee shook her head. "They told us to call them our saviors, but we never did. Saviors would never have hurt us like they did."

"They hurt you?" Magnus had completely given up his calm façade. His face was now contorted with rage and tiny blue sparks were flying from his hands. Citalee seemed a little unnerved by his reaction. She was cringing away from him into Jace. When Magnus saw this, he relaxed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Please, continue."

"Well," she began hesitantly, "for years we were held in their prison. At first, we were scared and the injections they gave us hurt a lot. But then, after a few years," Clary's brow lifted, "we got used to it." _Years?_ Clary thought. "We just didn't care anymore. The pain wasn't as bad, and we could just ignore it. We'd grown used to sleeping in the damp cells."

"Why didn't you just escape using magic? Surely warlocks can break bars if the need arises," Isabelle said.

"We tried. But the bars and restraints they had were specially made to hold warlocks. Somehow they had figured out how to keep our powers dormant using special shackles. Also, we were very young, and our powers were not very mature. And as the time passed, with the injections and experiments they conducted, our powers grew even weaker." Her expression grew blank. She seemed to be staring off into the past.

"You say they did experiments, do you know what they were trying to accomplish?" Jace asked, his face very serious. Citalee just shook her head in response.

"So how did your sister end up as Magnus's adoptive sister?" Clary asked.

"We were not the only warlocks in the lab. There were other cells that kept others of our kind. When one of our neighbors died during an experiment, we realized how much danger we were in. So my sister and I pretended to be ill. The men in lab coats were tricked into coming inside the cell. Then, we jumped up and hit them over the head. We'd gotten so close to escaping when they caught up to us. I told my sister to run while I distracted them, saying I'd catch her up. But I knew that if I stayed, that I'd be captured, and so did my sister.

"Finally, I got her to leave. The men in coats found me, and took me back to my cell. They punished me, but I hardly remember it."

"I assume you tried to escape again just recently and prevailed?" Jace queried.

"No, actually, I had given up on trying escape a long time ago. This time, I was discarded on purpose. Earlier today, I was injected with something, blindfolded, and transported into the back of a vehicle. This happened quite often, so I wasn't concerned until I felt the vehicle stop. It had been too short a ride to be a normal one. Someone untied my blindfold and threw me out of the back of the van. I was too scared to move so I just stayed and curled up there until nightfall. That's when the great, ugly beast came at me. Then," she looked at Jace with grateful blue eyes, "you saved me."

"Yes, yes, we'll hear all about Jace's heroics later, trust me. Right now, we need to figure out what to do with this girl. She can't stay in the Institute so who wants to offer their house?" Isabelle said.

"I will. She can stay at my home. I've got plenty of extra space." Magnus was quick to reply.

"Is that okay with you?" Clary asked Citalee. The girl nodded shyly.

"I'll help you settle her in, Magnus," Alec said.

Jace clapped his hands together, startling all of them. "Well, I think I'm ready for a good nap. I've done enough heroic acts for today." He shot Isabelle a dark look.

Magnus stood, offering his hand to Citalee. Tentatively, she took it, looking up at him with an expression of mixed hope and fear.

When Magnus, Alec, and Citalee had gone, Isabelle grabbed Simon's hand.

"Does this mean you forgive me?" Simon asked.

"It's possible," Izzy replied. Izzy and Simon waved good-bye to Clary and Jace and swept in the opposite direction.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Jace asked, putting his arm around Clary's shoulders as they walked along the storefronts.

"I thought you said you wanted to go to sleep," Clary teased. The corners of Jace's mouth twitched with amusement, but he stayed silent. "I think I just feel like walking."

"Sounds good to me."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"And this will be your bedroom. I'll get you some new clothes; that ratty old thing is horrible. Oh, and you'll have your own bathroom. If you like, you can go ahead and shower. I'm sure you feel grimy after being chased by that demon. I mean, I know I surely would and—" Alec interrupted Magnus.

"You're babbling, Magnus. Why don't you go make something for her to drink? I'll get her set up in here." Magnus hesitated, then nodded at Alec and stepped out of the room. "Sorry about him. He's just nervous. Normally, he's not flustered like that."

"It's alright?" Citalee's voice was quiet as she looked around the large, cozy room. A queen sized bed with moss green covers and a canopy overhead. The curtains hanging down had Magnus's signature sparkle pattern on them. The room was quite plain otherwise. The only other furniture in the bedroom was an elegant dresser with a large mirror atop it that sat directly across from the bed. "It's lovely. I've never imagined I'd be living in such a grand place…I-I—" she choked off, burying her face in her hands.

Alec placed his arm around her shoulders and helped her to the fluffy green bed. "Hey, what're you crying for?"

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm just a little overwhelmed. I certainly never expected anything like this to happen, or to be treated like this. I feel like Cinderella," Citalee said, a smile playing at her lips.

"Citalee—"

"Please, I'd really rather not be called my dead sister's name." Her blue eyes glistened with sadness.

"Alright. Sorry, what would you like to be called?"

The girl grinned. "Call me Katherine."

Alec smiled back at her. "Okay, Katherine. I was wondering how you know about Cinderella if they kept you in cells."

"When we were very young, the kinder ones would read and sing to us sometimes when we got upset."

Alec nodded. "Well, Katherine, I'm going to check on Magnus. You can come if you want."

"Okay."

The newly renamed Katherine trailed behind Alec, loosely clinging to the back of his T-shirt, making Alec fight to keep his face straight.

When they finally found Magnus in the kitchen, he was bustling around a tray of strangely colored drinks. "None of those are going to turn us into rats are they?" Alec joked. Magnus laughed, recalling the time that Simon had drunk one of Magnus's odd drinks and been turned into a rat.

"No, Alec. These are perfectly harmless. There you go, Citalee." Magnus held out a cup of the strange liquid to Katherine.

"She wants us to call her Katherine, Magnus," Alec said, taking a drink from the tray on the counter.

Magnus's glittery eyebrows rose. "That's a lovely name. What made you choose that one?"

Katherine swallowed a sip of the drink and smiled. "Your golden friend suggested it."

"You mean Jace?" Alec asked, frowning slightly. Katherine nodded.

"I'm surprised he didn't suggest anything horrid," Magnus admitted, a slight grimace in his expression.

"Well, I'm amazed he didn't suggest Jacelina or something. He can be a little self-centered at times," Alec smirked.

"I think he's kind. He saved me from that monster." Katherine's expression was indignant. Alec laughed at her seriousness, exchanging a meaningful look with Magnus.

"Well now, it seems our guest has a little crush on your brother, Alec." A mischievous grin played across Magnus's face.

At his words, Katherine's cheeks flushed a furious red. She took a long drink from her cup to avoid answering. Alec couldn't help but smile. Leaning back on the counter, he closed his eyes contentedly. Then, he felt a warm arm curl around his waist. Blinking open his eyes, Alec looked up to see Magnus fondly watching Katherine squirm.

Suddenly, Katherine asked, "Are you two in love?"

It was Alec's turn to blush. He knew that his fair skin was betraying his embarrassment. Thankfully, Magnus answered, shamelessly. "Yes, Katherine, we are. What makes you ask?"

"You just seem very close. It makes me…feel warm inside. Like there's a big fluffy teddy bear giving me a great big hug!" Katherine giggled, sounding so much like a child that Alec wondered at her real age.

Just then, Katherine gave a great yawn, her eyes fluttering sleepily.

"It is pretty late. I suppose we should all get to bed. Are you staying tonight, Alexander?" Magnus said. Again, Alec's cheeks burned.

"I'm not sure."

"Oh, come on, please! I really want you to, Alec." Katherine was looking at Alec with enormous blue eyes and cute, pouted lips; he couldn't say no.

"Alright, I'll stay."

"Yes!" Katherine was so excited that she thrust her hands up in the air, accidentally spilling her drink. When it splattered all over the floor, she looked at it in absolute horror, gasping for air. "I-I'm so sorry! I-I-I will c-clean it up r-right aw-away. I'm really, really sorry! P-Please, d-don't hurt m-me!" Katherine's eyes were spilling over with tears. She scrambled on the floor with her hospital gown, trying to clean up the spill.

Quickly, Alec knelt down, grabbing Katherine's hand. She flinched but didn't pull it away. "Hey, we're not going to hurt you, okay? It's alright; Magnus can clean this up easily. Watch." He looked up at Magnus expectantly.

With a nod, Magnus cleared away the liquid with magic then knelt next to Alec. Taking Katherine's other hand, Magnus pulled Katherine to her feet and pulled her into a hug. Alec almost didn't catch what Magnus whispered into her ear. "I will never hurt you. I will always protect you. Whoever wants to hurt will have to get through me first. Do you understand?" Katherine looked up at Magnus and wiped away a tear trailing down her cheek.

"I understand," she said. Magnus smoothed down her hair, and led her back to her rom, Alec in tow. As Magnus and Alec stepped outside to let Katherine shower and dress in clean pajamas, Magnus smiled at Alec.

"What?" Alec asked.

"Nothing. I just think it's sweet that you said that you would stay the night just because she wanted you to."

"Well, what was I supposed to say? It'd be rude and cruel to reject someone like her. Plus, I don't really mind sleeping on the couch."

"What makes you think you're sleeping on the couch?" Magnus asked, cocking his brow.

Alec opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by a loud thump from Katherine's room. "Katherine, are you okay?" Magnus asked, his voice full of concern. When there was no answer, Magnus tentatively turned the nob. When it was open, he gasped and rushed inside. Alec peeked around the door frame.

The sight before him made his stomach lurch.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Magnus was kneeling beside Katherine's motionless body. She was wrapped in one of Magnus's white towels, but it was stained slightly at the top with something sickeningly red. It was blood.

It trickled from Katherine's mouth, flowing down her cheek. Her eyes were rolled back in her head, and she was deathly pale. Rushing forward, Alec checked her pulse. It was only a weak fluttering.

"Alec, I need you to go to the kitchen and look in the potions cabinet. There's small jar with a dark purple fluid in it. Bring that to me. Quickly!" Magnus commanded.

Sprinting back to the kitchen, Alec wrenched open the cabinet, searching for the jar. Quickly, he found it and rushed back to Katherine's room. "Here." Alec held it out to Magnus who was cradling the young girl in his arms tenderly.

"I can't give it to her. You'll have to." Alec frowned but reached to pull out the stopper and pour the liquid into her mouth. "No, she can't swallow on her own." Alec hesitated, confused. Then, understanding hit him.

"Magnus—"

"Please, Alec!" After a moment more of hesitation, Alec tipped the contents of the jar into his mouth without swallowing. Then, he leaned down over Katherine's face. Trying to ignore the fact that he was practically kissing his lover's adoptive sister, he administered the medicine as quickly as he could.

When he leaned back on his heels, he gagged at the after taste of the potion. Finally, after what felt like hours of waiting—but were probably only a few moments—Katherine's eyes closed and she wrenched up into a sitting position. She seemed to be coughing her lungs out, but the color was already beginning to return to her cheeks.

Smiling triumphantly, Alec slapped her on the back.

"Oh, Katherine!" Magnus wrapped the young girl in a ferocious embrace. She looked confused but alive.

"What happened?" she asked, still too shocked to try wriggling out of Magnus's grip.

"We should be asking you. One minute, you're fine and dandy, the next you're on the floor with blood streaming down your face." Alec wiped red smears off Katherine's cheek with his shirt. Her eyes widened as she licked her lips and tasted the blood.

"How—" Katherine touched her finger to the blood. She stared at the drop with huge eyes.

"Hey," Alec muttered, taking her hand, "You shouldn't dirty your hands with blood. Come on, you take a shower, and I'll sit outside. We can talk through the door, that way I'll know you're okay and that you haven't collapsed again." Katherine nodded. Alec stood and held out a hand to help her up. Magnus pulled himself up onto Katherine's bed with a sigh. He suddenly looked exhausted.

"I really have to thank you, Alec." Magnus's eyes were cast down at his hands.

"What for?" Alec asked. At his words Magnus looked up.

"Well, for saving her and for keeping an eye on her. It's not your responsibility."

Alec blinked. "It wasn't a big deal. It's not like I could just sit there and watch her die." Magnus just smiled as Alec propelled Katherine into the bathroom.

She paused, looking uncertain. "Um, how do I…" she gestured vaguely to the bathtub.

Alec smiled to himself. "Just turn the knob like this. Then, plug it and wait until it's full. You can use the towels over there, he pointed to the shelf full of soft, white towels. "You can use the shampoo and conditioner beside the tub. And when you're done, just pull the plug."

"Here, you can change into this when you get out," Magnus said, offering a simple green nightgown that matched the bedspread.

"Thank you." Katherine took the nightgown and closed the door behind us.

"So do you remember anything about your life before the lab?" Alec called through the door.

"No, nothing. I wish I could, but it's just blank," Katherine replied. Alec slid down against the wall next to the bathroom door and tiredly closed his eyes.

"That's understandable. You were really young, and you've been through some serious trauma since then."

Magnus walked quietly to where Alec sat. "Katherine, can you tell us anything about the people who kidnapped you? Anything at all would help," Magnus asked.

Katherine was silent for so long, Alec thought she might have collapsed again. Finally, she said,

"All I remember is their faces. I wish I could help."

"It's fine. I was just wondering. We _are_ going to catch them, Katherine. You don't need to be afraid anymore."

She didn't say anything back, but Alec could hear water splashing so he knew she wasn't unconscious. Alec opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Magnus who was staring at him with an odd look on his face. "What?" Alec asked, their eyes never parting.

"I was just thinking about how much I'd like to kiss you right now."

A fierce blush crept up into Alec's face, but he still couldn't look away. There was something about Magnus's stare right now that needed Alec to keep looking at him. Magnus's thin fingers reached up to caress Alec's cheek then moved to tangle in his dark hair. Alec fought to look away, but something kept him staring into those captivating gold and green eyes. Their faces had moved so close together now that Alec could feel Magnus's trembling breath slide along his skin.

Finally, their lips met. The kiss tasted hot and sweet. Magnus's other hand cupped the back of Alec's neck, and Alec closed his eyes as soft lips gently pressed along his cheekbone. Suddenly, they were on the floor, Magnus's attitude becoming more passionate. Alec got swept away in the madness until a voice as graceful as a swan sitting on lake water sang out from the behind the bathroom door.

Katherine was humming a soft, happy tune. Magnus stopped moving when he heard the voice as well, and the two looked at each other. Guilt written all over his face, Magnus sat back up. Alec wiped the dampness from his lips, embarrassed, and stood to leave the room.

As he closed the door behind him, Alec could still feel those mesmerizing eyes on him. He forced himself not to turn back around because he knew that if he did he _really_ wouldn't be able to look away.


	5. Chapter 5

**I apologize for the wait! It took me a while to figure out what happened next. I'll try to get the next chapter up quickly!**

**Chapter 5**

Wrapping a towel around his waist, Alec toweled his hair half dry and combed it out then slipped out of the bathroom. He'd forgotten to bring his clothes in with him; he mentally slapped himself for it. So he poked his head out of the bathroom door to check for anybody then hurried over to the chest at the foot of the bed that Magnus let him keep spare clothes in. He pulled out a pair of gray boxers, a black T-shirt, and a pair of gray silk pants that Magnus had bought him for pajamas. Turning back to the bathroom, he yelped when he caught sight of Magnus standing in the doorway and dropped his armload of clothes.

With a smile, Magnus said, "Jumpy." Fluidly, he glided toward the enormous bed like a mermaid through water. Gathering the clothes back up, Alec headed back into the restroom to change. Finally, he slid back out into the bedroom. Magnus was tying his fluffy, dark blue cotton robe around himself. He looked up when Alec stepped out. "Just go ahead and make yourself at home." He swung a towel over his shoulder and closed the bathroom door behind him.

Letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, Alec moved to the bed. The bedspread looked like something an Emo teenage girl might have in her room. It was black with hot pink trim and several little, pink pillows sat at the head of the bed. Rolling his eyes, Alec swiped the pink pillows aside, lifted the covers up, and slid into the satin sheets. Magnus tended to change his surroundings with his mood.

Alec laced his fingers behind his head and stared up at the ceiling, listening to Magnus in the bathroom. Soon, Magnus's tall figure drifted into the room like a specter in strange, colorful clothing. He was shirtless but had donned a reddish-orange satin robe with matching pants. Alec watched as Magnus busied himself with removing the robe, folding it and placing it on the chair next to the side table. The toned muscles of Magnus's back stretched and contracted, fascinating Alec to the extent that he didn't realize he was staring until Magnus turned around and caught his eye. Blushing, Alec turned his gaze back to the ceiling. "How's Katherine?" he asked, trying to distract Magnus.

"She's fine," Magnus replied. He was still gazing at Alec with those cat eyes when Alec glanced at him. A grin had snuck its way into his expression as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "You can be truly transparent sometimes." Defiantly, Alec shot a glare at Magnus and flipped onto his side. The bed creaked slightly as Magnus placed his knee on the sheets. Alec felt Magnus's hand come to rest on his arm. "Don't get all crabby. I was just teasing you, you know that."

Alec pretended to be asleep. Evidently, Magnus didn't buy it—though Alec hadn't really expected him to. He smoothed his fingers down Alec's arm, following them with a series of gentle kisses. Alec felt his stomach flutter as Magnus's lips trailed down to his wrist then Magnus took Alec's hand tentatively and pressed his lips into his palm. Finally, Alec couldn't take anymore; he took his hand from Magnus's grip to push himself into a sitting position. When Alec got comfortable, Magnus twisted around so that he lay on his back, his head resting on Alec's leg. The cold of Magnus's damp, black hair bled through the sheets. "What are you going to do about Katherine? I'm going to have to report about her to the Clave," Alec said. He felt very uncomfortable for some reason so he wanted to talk about something safe.

Magnus let out a heavy sigh, blinking his cat eyes irritably. "Why do you try diverting the conversation whenever things turn intimate?" Alec covered half his face with his hand in frustration.

"I'm sorry." Alec's voice escaped his lips in a strained whisper.

Magnus sat up, moving closer to Alec's face. He placed a cool hand on Alec's cheek, turning his head so that their eyes met. "Look, I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. But if you don't feel relaxed around me then I don't see how we can even call ourselves a couple."

Alec paused for a long time, mustering up the courage to say what he really wanted to. "You're right. You're right, and I'm sorry. I've just been so…nervous."

"About what?"

"Well, Magnus, honestly I don't really understand why you like me. And I can't help but feel a little scared that you'll…" Alec trailed off feeling embarrassed.

"Scared that I'll what?"

Taking a deep breath to calm his thrumming heart, Alec muttered, "I'm scared that you'll leave me."

"That's preposterous! Alec, listen to me. Do you know why I fell in love with you?"

Alec felt his heart perform a somersault at Magnus's words. Instead of replying, he simply shook his head no.

"I fell in love with you because you're different from everyone else I've met. And I've met quite a few people in my eight-hundred years. I know it sounds corny, but it's true. You are special, Alexander Lightwood. More so than you could possibly imagine." He paused. "Look at me, Alexander."

The moment Alec's reluctant blue eyes lifted to meet Magnus's, their lips locked in a sweet kiss. Magnus was being unusually gentle, his hands cupping Alec's face, thumbs stroking along his cheekbones.

Unable to stop himself, Alec twined his arms around Magnus's neck. Obviously taking this as a sign of encouragement, Magnus slid his lips down Alec's jaw moving one of his hands into Alec's still-damp hair and skimmed the other along his arm to clasp his hand. Alec hiccupped for breath as Magnus's kisses traveled slowly down his neck.

A memory suddenly flashed in Alec's mind: one of Jace noticing a curious blemish at the base of Alec's neck. "Don't leave any marks," he rasped. His voice sounded rough and strained even to his own ears.

Magnus's teeth glittered as he flashed a devilish smile. Alec knew from that look that he was not going to escape this without a visible brand. But right then, he didn't have the strength to fight the passion growing inside him.

Pale light filtered through the white lace curtains. Alec noted that Magnus had changed the room's theme. Everything was now in pastel or white. The bed covers had changed to a baby blue that matched the chair in the corner—which was now empty of Magnus's robe. The side table was now inhabited by a silver-stemmed lamp with a lampshade the hue of forget-me-nots.

But most of all, Alec noticed that Magnus was gone.

Alec fought his way out from the mess of sheets and grabbed his shirt and pants from the floor. Clothes had gone flying around the room last night, though they hadn't gone farther than that. Alec had stopped; he just wasn't ready for _that_ just yet.

After slipping back into the silk pants, he tugged the black shirt over his head as he headed for the kitchen. Magnus had cooked breakfast, evidently. The scent of bacon, biscuits, and eggs saturated the air. There was also a bowl of fruit sitting on the table: bananas, grapes, oranges, and apples.

Puzzling over where Magnus was—for he wasn't even in the kitchen—Alec plucked a strip of bacon from the plate and grabbed an orange from the bowl.

He'd begun peeling away the orange rind to feast upon the juicy insides, when a shriek split the air.


	6. Chapter 6

**:'( No reviews on that last chapter! Come on guys! (and I apologize for the crappy chapter, but I needed a filler one cuz I'm trying to plan out the big events about to come)**

**Chapter 6**

Dropping the orange without a thought, Alec sped through the house to Katherine's room where the shout had originated. The door was wide open and when he skidded to a halt in front of it, he was relieved to see the screams were screams of joy. Magnus, still in his pajamas, had Katherine pinned on the bed, tickling her. She giggled like a child as Magnus's nimble fingers attacked her sides, and Alec couldn't keep the smile from infecting his face. Folding his arms over his chest, Alec leaned against the doorframe before shouting over Katherine's shrieks and laughs. "I did not know there would be breakfast _and_ a show."

Magnus's grinning face turned up look at Alec; he obviously hadn't known he was there. When Magnus's fingers paused temporarily in their harassing of her ribcage, Katherine giggled and escaped his grip. With a playfully disappointed scoff, Magnus redirected his attention to his adopted sister. She scurried across the bed to land on the floor on the opposite side of the bed. "You allowed my victim to escape, Alec!" he said with a mock frown. Katherine stuck her tongue out at him and Magnus scrambled across the sheets to grab her and pull her back down; she fell with a screamed of delight.

Watching the two adoptive siblings play, Alec noticed things about Katherine he hadn't before. Her hair, which had been dark with grease and dirt when he'd first met her, was actually such a light brown that it was almost blond. The skin that last night had been smudged with dirt was now a soft brown that hugged her small frame. She was slightly malnourished: the bones of her arms showed a little through her skin.

Alec laughed as Magnus rolled Katherine on top of him, trapping her in his arms with a triumphant hoot. "Alec, help!" she choked through her laughs. She shrieked again as she wrestled against his grasp. Alec rolled his eyes, chuckling to himself. "Alec, please!"

Sighing, Alec moved into the room. He wasn't used to trying to help someone out of this sort of situation. It would've been easier had Magnus been a demon trying to eat Katherine and not her adoptive brother tickling her. Hesitantly, Alec stepped closer to the wriggling pair. He grasped Katherine's outstretched hands and tried to pull her away, but Magnus's grip was too strong. He hugged her closer to his body, grinning wickedly.

He gave up on tearing her away from Magnus and resolved to fight fire with fire. Kneeling at Magnus's bare feet, he got hold of one of them. Magnus let out a loud yelp of surprise as Alec ran his fingers up the middle of Magnus's foot like he used to do to Isabelle when they were young. The foot that Alec held began to thrash around wildly. Katherine grabbed the chance to wiggle away from him. She backed against the wall next to the door, laughing. Alec tried to join her, but an arm slithered around his throat. Another arm wrapped around his waist, and he felt a warm body flattening up against him.

"You're mine now," whispered Magnus's voice in Alec's ear. A blush crept up into Alec's face. Katherine covered her mouth, a girlish giggle escaping her lips. "Help me tickle him, Katherine! Come on!" he laughed. Alec struggled in his grip to glare up at Magnus's face.

"I'm not ticklish," Alec growled low enough that Katherine couldn't hear.

Magnus lowered his voice to match Alec's, but he didn't appear to be effected by his glower. He was smiling at Katherine. "Oh, I beg to differ based on last night, Alexander."

Alec thought he might pass out from embarrassment.

Thankfully, it didn't seem like Katherine was in any mood to assist her adoptive brother in his torture of Alec. "Why should I help you? You were the one tickling me!" she chortled, looking triumphant at having gotten away.

"You're right. Now, why did I stop that?" Magnus released Alec to chase after Katherine when she took off down the hall. Shaking his head, Alec followed them.

Katherine ran through the hall into the main room, laughing, only to slam into a very solid and very big body. "Oops!" she gasped breathlessly. She tilted her head up to see the golden boy who'd saved her.

"Jace! What are you doing here?" Alec asked. He walked into the room behind Magnus.

"Interrupting something, obviously," replied Jace. He glanced kindly at Katherine. She felt where his strong hands gripped her to steady her when she'd run into him. His skin was warm and golden, just like everything else about him. In her eyes, Jace was a beautiful sun god. If voices were colorful, she imagined his being a deep, true gold. "I was just in the neighborhood, thought I'd see how Citalee was doing."

"Her name is Katherine now, and _when_ are you ever in Magnus's neighborhood?"

Jace simply shrugged in response. Then his manor seemed to perk up like an excited puppy. "Do I smell bacon?" Absently, he drifted off in the direction of the kitchen, following the scent of breakfast. Rolling his eyes, Alec traipsed after him.

Katherine still felt glued to the spot until Magnus placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked around to find him gazing at her warmly. "We didn't get to finish breakfast, did we?" He started after Alec and Jace calling, "Jace, you better not hog all the bacon!"

A wide grin spread over Katherine's lips like the butter Alec was putting on his biscuit when she walked in. Everything felt so…warm. For once in her life, Katherine felt like she really belonged.

Katherine dropped into a chair at the table as Alec spoke around his bite of biscuit to ask, "So why are you really here, Jace?"

There was a long pause during which Jace loaded his plate with three strips of bacon, a large spoonful of eggs, two biscuits, and several little branches of grapes. Finally, he said, "I could really ask you the same thing."

Alec fought for the heat to stay from his face—he was tired of blushing constantly. Magnus answered for him. "He stayed the night. There's not a problem, is there? I mean, his parents have Okayed our relationship, so why shouldn't he be here?" Alec just gave up on trying to suppress the blush from his cheeks and resorted to keeping his face turned down at his plate.

Gnawing on a chewy bit of bacon, Jace shrugged.

"Then stop changing the subject. Answer Alec's question."

Heaving a big sigh, Jace swallowed his food. "I came here to try and find some leads. I was thinking last night. Katherine said that there were other warlocks in that lab with her and her sister. And I wondered why Katherine's as old you, Magnus, but still looks sixteen. I wanted to ask her about that lab to try and find something that could help us find them. Whoever they are, their obviously trying to do something with warlocks. They're breaking the Law."

"Have you told Mom?" queried Alec.

Jace shook his head. "She wasn't there last night and she left before I woke up this morning." Alec stared at Jace.

"More like you never went home last night, did you?"

"I went home."

"No you didn't. You have bags under your eyes and they're all red. You didn't sleep at all last night." Jace leaned is back against the counter, munching on his breakfast, acting as if he hadn't heard Alec.

A small voice added, "You should sleep. It's not good for you not to."

Alec turned his gaze on Katherine. She was fiddling with her hands in her lap as she stared down at them. When he glanced at Jace, he too was looking at Katherine. He obviously hadn't expected her to say that. After a moment, he set his plate down, walked around the table, and gently ruffled Katherine's brown hair. She looked up at him with huge, blue eyes.

"Thanks for worrying about me, kid," he told her. Alec felt a little surprised at the tenderness in his voice. Jace swiveled to look at Alec. "Never mind. I don't want to ruin you guys' breakfast with annoying questions."

"You already have," Magnus murmured, but Jace ignored him.

"See you later, Alec. And just a tip: you might want to at least check in. Maryse might be freaking out that you haven't come home. I actually did at least drop by."

Alec's heart stopped when he realized Jace was right. He hadn't even called to tell her he'd be wouldn't be coming home. _Crap,_ he thought, _I'm dead._


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the wait but I had a Spanish paper due :P. I tried to make this one long to make up for it. Thank you so much for the reviews! I feel loved. Really. ;) **

**Chapter 7**

Maryse was surprisingly forgiving about Alec's failure to call. Her voice sounded calm, almost tired over the phone when she sighed, "It might be nice if you stop by today, though."

"What for?" Alec asked sitting down on Magnus's bed.

"I want to talk more about this warlock girl you found. Isabelle mentioned the girl was Magnus Bane's sister. I'd like for you to bring Magnus and the girl to the Institute later."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea just yet. Katherine's been under a lot of stress that she's not used to, and she's a little unsteady. It might scare her if we take her to the Institute. I think it might be better if we waited."

The phone line crackled as Alec's mother heaved a huge sigh. She paused for moment. "Then I'll come to her. I'll be there in half an hour."

The line went dead.

Alec's heart sank. The first time he'd spent the night at his boyfriend's house his mother decides to invite herself over to interrogate his boyfriend's adopted sister. He snapped the cellphone shut, squeezing it in his hand.

"Is everything okay?" That was Magnus's voice. Alec whirled around to find him standing in the doorway. Magnus's face was full of curious concern.

Alec ran a hand through his hair before explaining. "My mom is coming here. She wants to talk to Katherine."

That curious concern quickly changed to disbelief. "What? She's coming here?"

Nodding curtly, Alec slid his phone into the pocket of his jeans. He'd changed into jeans and a long sleeve shirt, intending to leave after he called his mother, but that plan was obviously winding down the drain like water now.

His finger massaging his temple, Magnus said, "Alright. I'll talk to her. I can't believe you want to interrogate my sister after we've only just been reunited! _And_ she almost died last night, twice."

Uncontrollable agitation gurgled up in Alec; he blurted, "Well, what do you want me to do, Magnus? It's not like I want my mom coming here either!"

The slits of pupil in Magnus's eyes narrowed when his eyes widened. Blinking, he replied with an apologetic tone. "You're right. I know you didn't mean for this to happen." Rubbing tiredly at his neck, Magnus continued, "It would really mean a lot to me if you'd come with me to speak with Katherine. She trusts you. I think it'll make her feel more comfortable if you're there."

"Okay." Alec started toward the door, but Magnus didn't move out of the way. Instead, he snaked an arm around Alec's waist, pulling him closer. Closing his eyes, Alec rested his head on Magnus's bare chest. His partner's warmth made Alec feel unexpectedly safe. For a long moment, Alec felt as if there were nothing else in the world except him and Magnus. He was very reluctant to leave that gentle embrace. But sure enough, Magnus eventually pulled away, placing a tender kiss on the top of Alec's head before he did.

However, though he'd stopped the embrace, he kept hold of Alec's hand. They moved down the hall as a single entity. When they reentered the kitchen, Katherine was still seated at the table, picking absently at the leftover eggs on her plate. She looked up, suddenly full of life, when they came in. Her blue eyes gazed at Alec full of worry. "You didn't get in trouble, did you? I mean, I was the one who wanted you to stay. I'd feel so bad if you got in trouble because of me."

Magnus sat in the chair beside her, coaxing Alec down into the seat next to him. As he settled himself, he assured her, "Honey, you weren't the only one who wanted Alexander to stay last night." He winked at Alec who blushed furiously.

Alec turned his attention on the younger girl. "I didn't get in trouble. Don't worry. But, if it's okay with you, my mom wants to come over and talk with you for a little while."

A wary glint appeared in Katherine's eyes. "What about?"

"Just about the lab. She wants to help the others who are still in there."

At that, Katherine's face brightened. "Then I want to help too! I'll try to remember everything I can. I hope there are some things that I can tell you that will help. Some of the people in there are my friends…" She trailed off, lost in her memories.

Without thinking about what he was doing, Alec reached across the table and placed his hand comfortingly on Katherine's smaller one. "We'll get them out. I promise." He had no idea what made him say it, but the way the girl's expression looked, he just had to make her feel better. The other hand, still clenched in Magnus's grasp, got a grateful squeeze from him.

A few minutes later, Katherine vacated the kitchen to shower and change. When she left, Magnus turned to Alec and said, "I figured out why she collapsed last night."

Surprised, Alec asked, "What was it?"

"Do you remember when she was relating her story to us; she said that right before they put her in the vehicle they injected her with something?"

Alec fought to recall this tiny bit of information. "I think so. Do you think they wanted to cover their tracks by injecting her with a chemical time bomb?"

Magnus nodded, his sharp features full of certainty. "After you were asleep, I left to check on her. While I was in there I decided to do a quick, simple checkup of her health. Other than her malnutrition, I found nothing wrong with her except there were traces of the chemical that humans use to euthanize pets. The only reason it didn't affect her right away is because of the demon blood in her. It diluted the poison so that it couldn't take effect for several hours."

"Is there any way it could affect her now?"

"No. That potion you gave her cleared her system. She'll be fine."

Suddenly, a white blur exploded into the room, shot up Magnus's leg and came to rest in his lap.

Chairman Meow was clawing at the fabric of Magnus's pants to make them more comfortable. "Oh no you don't, you little devil. I swear, every outfit I own has a tufty little patch of threads coming out of it because of you," Magnus scolded. He cupped the kitten in one hand and set him on the table. A grin teased Alec's lips as he watched the pair. Magnus scratched affectionately behind Chairman Meow's ears as the little cat purred in satisfaction.

A few minutes later, there was a soft padding sound as Katherine walked back into the room. Magnus and Alec look around in unison, their jaws dropping. Katherine's almost-blond hair fell around her shoulders in oddly beautiful, wet straggles. The flowing, yellow sundress that hung nearly to her knees made the warm browns of her skin stand out, and the blue of her eyes seemed to have become clearer. She looked like the sun and the sky and the earth all bundled up into one. Alec may not have found girls to his liking, but he could still tell when they were pretty. At the moment, Katherine was beyond pretty. She was _gorgeous_.

Magnus stood up, letting go of Alec's hand, and moved to grabbed Katherine's instead. Bashfully she looked to the ground, but with one hand, Magnus turned her chin upwards. "You're beautiful. Don't ever hide that," he muttered wistfully. Chuckling lightly, he twirled her around, making her dress billow out like rays of sunshine.

"Am I really beautiful?" she asked quietly.

"You are radiant, Katherine," Alec reassured her. A blush seeped into her cheeks, making Alec smile fondly.

The moment was magnificent, but it had to end. The doorbell chimed, and Magnus's cat eyes flashed to meet Alec's.

Heaving an enormous sigh, Alec told himself, _Here we go_!

Rain pattered lightly on the concrete as Maia strolled through the Brooklyn streets. She'd decided against bringing an umbrella on her way to Simon's house; a decision which she now regretted. Her jeans, hair, navy blue jacket, and "I could be gaining levels right now" T-shirt were soaked through, making spasms of shivers rattle up and down her spine.

A white van splashed through a muddy puddle, washing her in dirty rainwater as it passed her and turned the corner. "Perfect," she grumbled to herself. Her day hadn't been the best, and Maia was ready to relax and play videogames with Simon.

Stepping out into the street, Maia felt the cellphone in her back pocket vibrate. As she fished her phone out, she looked at the caller ID. It was Simon. She flipped the silver phone open, her finger poised to press the answer button, and voice sounded just ahead of her.

"Could you help me, please?" The voice came from an older woman, in her fifties maybe. She was dressed all in black and held an umbrella low over her head, hiding her face. "Please. I seem to have dropped my glasses. I'm simply blind without them."

Pocketing the phone, Maia replied, "Sure, Ma'am. Did you drop them around here?"

"Yes. Thank you so much. You're such a dear."

Maia crouched down, searching the ground for the woman's glasses. "It's no problem, Ma'am."

"I feel so foolish. I took them off to clean them and they slipped from my fingers."

"Accidents happen, nothing to beat yourself up about—" Maia's voice caught in her throat when a very sharp something jabbed into the side of her neck, hard.

Before she could make a sound, her eyesight began to dim as she drifted into unconsciousness like floating on a river of ice.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, guys, thanks for the reviews! I have a question for you all…so I know how you love the Magnus-Alec (Malec) relationship. I was thinking I wanted to bring in another gay character. What do you guys think? I'd really like your thoughts! :)**

**Chapter 8**

Frowning at his phone, Simon gnawed absently at his cheek. Maia wasn't answering her phone and she was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago. _Maia's fine. She can take care of herself,_ Simon told himself. Still, he just couldn't rid himself of this nagging feeling that something was very wrong.

When she still hadn't arrived or called fifteen minutes later, Simon really began to worry. Grabbing his jacket, he headed downstairs. His mother was at work so he left a note in case he didn't get back before she did. The morning light felt like tiny pins on his skin, a feeling he despised. It reminded him every day of what he was. He started off in the direction of the old police station that the wolf pack stayed in.

For a moment, he considered calling instead—he didn't want to seem like an obsessed boyfriend—but he decided against it because of the early hour. Besides, he didn't even know the number to the station. He only had Luke's phone number, and he was surely at home with Clary's mother at this hour.

Quickly, Simon walked the streets of Brooklyn, all the while desperately hoping to run into Maia. Finally, he came to the police station. A little nervously, he approached the door. He hesitantly raised a hand to knock, but the door swung a couple inches open before he could touch it. "What do you want, Daylighter?" rumbled an unfriendly voice. A pair of eyes glinted from around the door, glowering at Simon.

"Um, I was looking for Maia," said Simon.

"She left forty-five minutes ago to meet with _you_. Why would she still be here?"

"Look, she didn't show up. I'm just worried about her," Simon growled.

The untrusting, gleaming eyes blinked once then the entrance opened farther to allow Simon in. Stepping out of the winter air—which he could not really feel—he looked around. He'd been here a couple times but had never stayed long. Though the room was dim, it was fairly neat. The front room he'd stepped into seemed to be a sort of living room with comfy couches and a giant armchair that looked as if it were used daily.

Turning to look at the person who'd let him in, Simon was met with a sharp glare from a dark-haired boy with dark green eyes. Uncomfortably, Simon waited for him to speak, but he simply gave Simon the once over then stalked over to the couch. "Sit," he grumbled.

Sinking into the armchair, he understood why it looked so beaten. The cushions seemed to envelope him in a warm, soft hug; it was like the definition of comfort. Finally, Simon asked, "Should we look for her?" The other boy just stared at him darkly. Simon was beginning to lose his patience. "Look, glaring at me isn't going to find her any faster."

"Have you tried calling her cellphone?" the other boy asked.

"No, I just ran down here as fast as I could without thinking to do the logical first." Simon regretted saying that snarky comment as soon as he said it, but the other boy just raised his eyebrows in something like respect. _Fan of sarcasm?_ Simon thought.

"Have you talked to her at all today?"

"No. I've texted her and called her, but she's not answering at all. I guess the last person to see her was you."

Running a hand through his dark hair, the other boy closed his eyes in thought. "Well, Daylighter—"

"I'd really appreciate it if you didn't call me that. I have a name: Simon. If I knew yours I wouldn't call you Werewolf."

The guy blinked. Then a grin spread across his face and he offered a hand to Simon. "Bat." Simon shook Bat's hand before saying,

"You're Maia's ex aren't you? She told me about you."

"Yeah. But we're cool now," Bat said, reclining back on the couch.

"So what should we do about this?"

Bat seemed to consider it for a moment before shrugging. "I suppose we should try and follow her scent." Simon blinked. Then he realized that he was talking to a werewolf. _Why didn't I think of that before! I'm a vampire; I've got a superhuman sense of smell, too._ Simon mentally slapped himself.

"When can we get started?"

"Right now, I guess. I'll go get some guys to help." Bat stood and walked out of the room. Simon waited impatiently for him to return. Thankfully, Bat didn't take long. He reentered the room, several guys behind him. "This is Logan, Cody, and Lexis," Bat introduced the guys. Logan was an older looking—in his mid-twenties—guy with dark brown dreadlocks and a silver eyebrow ring over his left eye. Beside him stood Cody who was quite a bit shorter than the rest of them with short blond hair and brown eyes. Next to Cody was Lexis. With black hair and dark skin and eyes, Lexis struck Simon as the exact opposite of Jace. He looked shy and quiet, contradictive to Jace's arrogant personality.

"Are we ready?" Simon asked. Bat glanced back at his fellow werewolves who nodded.

"All ready," he announced. Logan led the way to the door with Bat and Lexis close behind. Cody opened the door for Simon before he followed.

"Thanks," Simon said, feeling a little surprised. Most new people he'd met since Clary had found out she was a Shadowhunter hadn't been nearly so polite as to hold open a door for him. As they stepped outside Cody stuffed his hands deep into his pockets and gave Simon a sideways glance before asking,

"So you're the Daylighter everybody has been talking about?"

Simon felt tired of explaining this to everyone, but he supposed Cody didn't understand that. He forced himself not to look irritated and not to sigh when he answered, "Yup."

"That's really cool. I mean, I can't imagine not being able to go out into the sun."

"Yeah, it kind of sucked."

"What was it like being turned into a vampire? I heard that even though you were a mundane, you had Shadowhunter friends. It must have been nice to know about vampires before you were Turned. Most werewolves and vampires get turned without knowledge of our existence."

"Most?"

"Well, werewolves can be born. Unlike your kind we aren't frozen in time. Our condition is actually a disease."

"Then why are vampires the way they are?" Cody gave Simon another sideways looked that seemed kind of confused.

He replied, "You're a vamp; shouldn't you know?"

Simon was about to say something when Bat gasped and rushed past Logan. Crouching to the ground, Bat picked something shiny up to turn it between his fingers. As he approached, Simon realized it was Maia's cell. Bat looked up, a determined expression on his face. "Something happened here. We've got to find Maia."

"Wait, how do we know it's actually hers?" Simon asked.

"For one thing, it's got her scent all over it, and this." Bat pointed to a little wolf sticker on the back of the phone. Simon's heart sank.

"Her scent ends here. I don't know how we're going to track her now," Logan commented. His voice was really deep, smooth, and melodic. Logan's last words made a single name pop into Simon's mind. Hope springing in his chest, he told them,

"I think I know who can help us."


	9. Chapter 9

**Here's the next chappy! Enjoy! :)**

**Chapter 9**

Standing in front of the nearly empty building, Simon felt slightly nervous. Lexis, Logan, Bat, and Cody were uncomfortably glancing around like they expected some sort of attack to happen any time. With a sigh, Simon raised his fist to knock on the door of the factory-like building—and it swung open with an eerie creak.

Behind the door hovered a dark shadow. Voices floated over the threshold, voices Simon recognized as Alec's and Magnus's. With his vampire hearing, Simon was able to understand everything they said, unfortunately. "Mm, I don't want you to leave so soon," crooned Magnus's smooth tone.

"Magnus, I'm sorry, I have to go. Come on, let go," rasped Alec. If his blood had run, it would have immediately swept to Simon's face. Sometimes, his vampire abilities could be a curse.

Inconspicuously, Simon shot the group of werewolves behind him a glance to see if they'd heard. Evidently, each one of them had. Lexis and Cody were staring at the cracked door, astounded. Bat and Logan shuffled awkwardly, gazing at their feet. The sound of a body hitting the wall gave Simon the courage to clear his throat unnecessarily loudly.

The sound of ruffling clothes and hushed whispers came from around the door before Magnus's towering figure appeared in the doorway. He was sporting his usual cloud of glitter in his spiky black hair. The sleeves of a white pirate tunic billowed over the tight black pants he wore. He almost looked like Jack Sparrow's cousin—except for the sparkles. However, Magnus didn't look half as jovial as Jack Sparrow. His cat eyes gleamed maliciously as he glared down at Simon. "What?" he spat.

"Uh, we need your help," Simon began.

"I'm not offering it." Magnus started shutting the door, but Simon wedged his foot in to keep it open.

"Please, Magnus," Simon growled. He lowered his voice to continue, "Do you really think I would've come back here—without Clary, mind you—voluntarily unless it was really important?"

Magnus's eyes narrowed to slits as they looked past Simon at his companions. "Who are they?" he asked, jutting his chin toward them. "And why are you hanging around Children of the Moon? I didn't think your kinds got along very well."

"Look, we need your help. I'll explain inside."

After a short pause, Magnus reluctantly moved aside to let them inside. The room was dim, but Simon could easily see that Alec had mysteriously disappeared. Magnus led the way up the stairs to the main room—a room Simon remembered well. It was where he'd been transformed into a rat. That had been the start of his turning into a vampire.

The room seemed quite a bit barer than the last time Simon had been in it. Though, it was full of faeries and stuff then. Logan, Bat, Lexis, and Cody all trailed in quietly after Simon. Magnus sank down on his couch, crossed his legs and arms and stared up at Simon. "You're inside. Explain," he demanded. Then he added, "Normally, I'd offer you a seat, but I'm not feeling very generous toward you right now."

With a sigh, Simon began, "Maia's been kidnapped. We came here to ask you if you could track her for us."

"Sorry, but I don't do favors for friends of a friend, rat boy. My services warrant payment, payment I'm most certain you couldn't afford," said Magnus as he raised a hand as if to say 'stop right there.'

A soft voice drifted from the archway that led to the kitchen. "Wait." Alec stepped into view, dressed in his usual: long sleeve black sweater and rag-tag jeans. Everyone turned to look at him. "Magnus, you should help them. I have a feeling this might be bigger than it seems."

Magnus gave Alec a long look before he turned his gaze on Simon and asked, "In that case, do you have something of hers that I can use?" Bat withdrew Maia's cellphone from his pocket and handed it to Magnus. Rising from the couch, Magnus left the room, calling over his shoulder, "This'll just take a minute."

Relief flooded Simon. When he turned back to everybody else, he was met with gazes full of a mixture of awkwardness and hope. Wanting to keep the room from filling with silence, Simon introduced everybody. "Alec, this is Bat, Logan, Cody, and Lexis. They're friends of Maia's. Guys, this is Alec."

Logan, as the eldest, offered his hand to Alec who shook it. "You're a Shadowhunter, no?" Logan asked.

"Yes, I am," replied Alec.

"Wow, I've only met a few Shadowhunters through Luke, but I've never met one who was dating a warlock," Cody blurted. Alec's eyes widened and his face turned beet red. Logan swatted him on the head, a stern look in his eyes. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"Remember when we talked about thinking about what you're going to say before you say it, Cody?" Logan scolded. He turned his steady gaze on Alec. "I apologize for my younger brother's insolence. He has a hyperactive issue that causes him to blurt things out."

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Alec mumbled, "It is okay."

"Alec?" breathed a feathery voice. Stunning blue eyes and light brown curls appeared in the doorway Alec stood in. He swiveled around and held out a hand to the girl. Simon hardly recognized her.

"Citalee?" he gasped.

"Her name is Katherine, now," Alec announced. She looked so small next to his tall shadow. Her bright yellow sundress swirled around her as she stepped closer to Alec. She watched the visitors with wary—yet curious—eyes as she absently chewed at her nails.

"Everyone, this is Katherine, Magnus's sister. Katherine, this is Logan, Bat, Cody, and Lexis. And you remember Simon. Say hi," Alec said. He sounded a lot tenderer than Simon was used to him sounding. Alec seemed to be changing quite a bit lately. He stood taller, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and his blue eyes didn't have the wall they used to.

"Hi," Katherine whispered with a tiny wave of her webbed fingers.

"Wow! You're really pretty," gulped Cody. Logan scowled at him and smacked him on the head again. "Hey! At least I blabbed something nice this time!" Cody frowned at his older brother as he rubbed the blond hair on the back of his head. Katherine giggled, redrawing Cody's attention to her. She gazed shyly back at him for just a moment before bashfully turning her eyes to the ground. When he caught a glimpse of Logan, Simon could almost imagine an anime version of the werewolf with a vein twitching in his forehead. But there was also affection in Logan's eyes as he gave his doe-eyed brother a disapproving glare

"Okay, boys—oh! Katherine!" Magnus sang as he twirled back into the room. It appeared he was in a much better mood now. He gave Katherine a fleeting smile then looked at Simon. "I've found your friend. Whoever has taken her must not be very experienced. I found her without having to go through any barriers. It's like she's been taken by humans…" Magnus trailed off, his eyes widening as they shifted to look at Alec. "Oh my God."

"What?" Simon asked.

"Alexander, you don't think—" Magnus choked on his words.

"Think what?"

"Yeah, Magnus, I do," Alec said. His expression was serious, his eyes thoughtful.

"Do you guys mind explaining?" Simon snapped irritably.

"Maryse just left. She came here to ask Katherine some questions about her past. Somewhere in there, we learned that Katherine had been kept not only been kept captive but by humans at that. She also told us that recently, the humans had been bringing in other Downworlders besides witches and warlocks," explained Magnus.

It took Simon a moment to understand what he meant. "You think the people who had Katherine took Maia?"

Magnus and Alec nodded together. "This is perfect! We can knock out two birds with one stone!" Magnus cheered.

"Wait a minute, Magnus. We don't know for sure that these are the same people who had Katherine. It's just a hunch," Alec cautioned.

"It's still a lead. Now, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Magnus was getting increasingly excited.

"Where exactly is it we're headed?" Logan asked.

"A building on Lincoln Avenue. Now let's hurry! Your friend may be in danger, you know."

Alec rolled his eyes. "Well, what are we going to do about Katherine? Do you really feel that it's safe leaving her here alone?"

That took Magnus by surprise. His cat eyes flicked to Katherine's face. "I…I didn't think about that. Well, we can't take her with us. I won't put her in danger like that."

"But maybe I can help," Katherine suggested quietly. Heat rose in her cheeks as everyone's stares came to fall on her. "I-I mean, I might be able to help you get through the building. I still remember some of it from when my sister and I tried to escape."

"Absolutely not. Alec, we are not—" Alec cut Magnus off.

"She has a point, Magnus. Besides, we can't just go storming the place without a plan." Magnus stomped his foot like a frustrated child, but somehow, when he did it, it looked threatening.

"Alec. I _am not_ letting you take my sister—"

_CRASH!_

Behind Simon, the door of Magnus's apartment flew off its hinges to land directly on Lexis, slamming him to the ground. Katherine shrieked as half a dozen men in black clothes holding handguns spilled through the door. Simon, frozen from shock, was helpless as the men fired their guns at Magnus, Alec, Logan, Cody, and Bat. All five of them started to struggle toward the men to fight, but within an instant, they were all flat on the floor.

"Take out the vampire, too!" ordered one of the men. Simon burst into action, he grabbed one of the men's arms and was about to rip the gun from the guy's hand, but a hand reached to cover Simon's nose and mouth. He didn't think chloroform affected vampires, but apparently he'd be wrong. His vision began to dim and his body to go numb. He retained consciousness to witness the men shackle the cowering Katherine with oddly shiny cuffs and drag her, screaming, out the door.

**Review, please! Seriously, it would mean a lot to me. It makes me reluctant to continue writing when people don't review. Thanks! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A BIG thanks to XxRin-sanxX and XxListlessAngelxX for the reviews! And really, really sorry it took so long to update. My laptop wasn't cooperating with the Internet. It was immensely frustrating haha! :) **

**Chapter 10**

Dark blurs swam through Simon's vision as he blinked his eyes. After forcing his eyes to focus, Simon saw Lexis's worried face bearing down on his own. "Are you alright?" Lexis asked. To Simon's surprise, the dark boy's voice was laced with a thick French accent. Pushing himself up on his elbow, Simon rubbed at his temple with one hand and answered,

"I'm okay. What about everybody else?"

"I-I don't know. I have not checked them yet."

"Well, don't waste your time on me. They can't hurt me, believe me," Simon mumbled, thinking of the Mark of Cain on his forehead. When Lexis didn't move, Simon glanced up at him through the dark curls that kept falling into his eyes. Brushing the hair away, Simon said, "What?"

Blinking his dark eyes, Lexis stammered, "Uh—nothing. I'll check on them." Simon groaned softly to himself because the pain in his head continued to drum steadily as he rose to his feet. Kneeling beside Logan, Lexis bent over him to grab his shoulders and shake him. Even when he jerked him more aggressively, Logan still didn't stir. "I wonder what they did to them. You were not out long at all, but these guys are gone." His accent really was strong, but it was soothing, not all hacking and gagging.

"I don't know. But I guess we should call Clary or Jace," Simon suggested, fumbling in his pocket for his phone.

"Who are they?" Lexis asked, getting to his feet.

"They're just some of my friends. Well, Clary is anyway."

"You don't like this…Jace?" Somehow, Simon thought he heard a hint of hope in Lexis's tone. He paused in scrolling through his contacts to glance up at Lexis. The werewolf stood there all dark hair and eyes and olive skin, staring at Simon.

"No. I mean, Jace…" Simon trailed off thinking of his history with Jace. On one hand, Jace was a dick. But on the other, he made Clary happy. And what made her happy made Simon happy as well. "It's complicated," he finished.

Lexis blinked. "Are they your vampire comrades?"

With a bitter smile, Simon replied, "No, far from it. They're Shadowhunters." Pressing the call button, Simon raised his cellphone to his ear. As he did, he raised his eyes. They met Lexis's, whose face was creased with a frown. "What's the matter?" The first ring.

"Why are you, a Child of the Night, allies with the Angel's children?"

The second ring.

"Well, it's a long story. But, in short, Clary and I have been friends since we were kids."

A click came down the line as Clary answered, "Hey, Simon. What is it? I'm supposed to be training right now so I can't talk long."

"Well, I think you'll want to hear this. Maybe you should come over here."

The line crackled as Clary sighed. "What's this about, Simon?"

"It's about Magnus's sister. She's been abducted."

There was a short, stunned silence. Then, "Where are you?"

"Magnus's house."

"I'll be there in five minutes." She hung up. Sliding his phone back into his pocket, Simon looked up at Lexis.

"Well, I guess we should try and move these guys. We probably shouldn't leave them on the floor like this," Simon said.

"I suppose," agreed Lexis. He crouched, swung Logan's long figure over his shoulder and walked to the couch. It was strange seeing such a slight person hauling someone so much larger like he weighed as much as a loaf of bread.

Bringing himself out of his thoughts, Simon turned to pick up the nearest person the floor. That person happened to be Magnus. "Let's take Alec and Magnus to Magnus's room. Cody can go in that chair," Simon directed, gesturing toward the stuffed armchair in the corner. "Then, we'll find some place to put Bat." Lexis nodded to show he conceded then moved to sling Alec's body over his shoulder.

Magnus's room wasn't hard to find. It was at the end of a hall. When Simon first entered, he didn't notice the décor, but when he did look around, he had to stifle a cry of surprise. Nearly every single surface and item in the room was a bright red. It was ridiculously obnoxious and made Simon's head ache slightly. Heart-shaped pillows sat at the head of the bed, the bedspread was dark red with lighter red and white hearts, the curtains were patterned with black hearts, the lamp on the nightstand was shaped like a heart, and the chair in the corner was bright red and in the shape of—guess what—a heart.

Simon didn't mind hearts. He didn't mind girly things as long as he wasn't forced to wear them or anything. But this was overboard.

The door creaked as Lexis came in lugging Alec. Like Simon, Lexis didn't notice the room's theme until he straightened up from setting Alec on the bed. With his back to Simon, Lexis froze. "Whoa," he breathed.

"I know, right?" Simon said. As if he hadn't been aware of Simon's presence, Lexis jumped and whirled around to stare at Simon. His dark eyes were huge, half obscured by wisps of black hair.

Suddenly, Lexis started for the door, but he tripped over his feet in his rush. Normally, Simon's vampire reflexes would've caused him to catch Lexis. But right then, his reflexes seemed just as astonished as he felt because the next thing he knew, he was on the ground, Lexis sprawled on top of him.

Hastily, Lexis pushed himself on his hands and knees. "S-Sorry!" he stuttered.

"That's alright," grunted Simon. "I understand how Magnus's style can be a bit startling."

Lexis laughed nervously but stayed where he was over Simon. Fidgeting slightly, Simon couldn't help but notice that the position they were in was rather…intimate. It was how couples always looked in the movies when one pinned the other to the ground just before they kissed.

_Oh, good _Lord_, don't think about something like that right now!_ Simon screamed silently to himself. If he'd still been human, he would've been blushing furiously. But the greenish glow in Lexis's eyes made Simon freeze. Through the deep tan of the other boy's skin, Simon saw his cheeks were flushed slightly, and his breath seemed a little ragged. "Lexis?" Simon said nervously. That gleam in his eyes was one of hunger.

"Well, isn't this a yummy sight," chuckled a snarky voice. Lexis seemed to fly backward, slamming into the side of the bed, and slid to the ground. Simon, breathless with tension, sat up to see Magnus also in a sitting position on the bed. He sat almost provocatively, one arm holding him up while one leg was pulled up, his other arm swung over it. His green-yellow cat eyes were slits as he smirked at Simon and Lexis.

Not knowing what to say, Simon looked at Lexis. But the werewolf had a horrified expression on his face and refused to meet Simon's eyes. Before anybody could say anything more, stomping footfalls sounded down the hallway, quickly getting louder and louder.

The door banged open. In the dark hall stood Clary's short shadow, behind her hovered Jace, Cody, Bat, and Logan. "What's going on, Simon? You said it was about Katherine so then why are these werewolves here?" Clary asked, gesturing behind her with her thumb to Cody, Bat, and Logan.

Simon explained about Maia's abduction and the attack on Magnus's house. "Why would they want take Katherine?" Clary pondered.

"They never meant for her to live. She was supposed to die last night, but Alec saved her," Magnus explained.

"I wouldn't have been able to if you hadn't told me what to do," grumbled the awakening Alec. His tone almost sounded like he didn't want credit for saving her. He scrubbed at his face and lifted himself to place his feet on the floor.

Blinking, Magnus smiled then said, "Well, it doesn't matter now." Swiftly, the warlock slid gracefully from the bed to glide toward the door. But he paused by Lexis, gazing down at him with those bright cat eyes. "I like you, werewolf. You're quite intriguing." Lexis's wide, dark eyes turned to stare up at Magnus. But before he could say anything, Magnus started walking toward the door again. Facing Clary and Jace Magnus demanded, "Now then, where is Katherine?"

Clary and Jace looked at each other uncomfortably. Clary said, "Um, you don't remember?"

A frown creased Magnus's brow. "Remember what?"

Clary's green eyes flashed to Simon's face. It was a lightning fast movement, but Magnus caught it and swiveled on his heel to look down at Simon stonily. "What am I supposed to be remembering, Simon?" Magnus's tone was cold as ice and hard as steel.

Clearing his throat, Simon got out a single syllable before a husky voice interrupted, "Katherine's gone, Magnus." All eyes turned to Alec. All except for Magnus's, that is. He stood stalk still, staring down at Simon.

"What?" he hissed through clenched teeth.

"Well, they took us by surprise, Magnus. All of us were unconscious, not just you. What did you expect us to do?"

"Go after them! Immediately after you woke up! Why are we all still standing here? You idiots! I thought you would have been able to defeat a few _humans_. I had assumed you'd gotten her back after you woke. Apparently not!" Magnus stormed past Clary, but Jace, catching a meaningful glance from Alec, moved fluidly to block him. "Move your ass out of my way, Shadowhunter!" Magnus growled. His voice was dangerously low and the pupils of his eyes were so narrow they almost disappeared.

"Hey, I'd really rather not kick your ass, _warlock_, because it might make Alec mad at me. But if you really want it—" Jace was cut off by Alec who seemed to be growing impatient.

"That's enough. Magnus, you were unconscious. How could we go after her if we didn't know where she was?"

Still with his gaze zeroed on Simon, Magnus made a physical effort to calm down. His chest rose slowly as he took a deep breath then turned to Alec. "Fine. What do you propose we do, Alexander?"

A grin spread over Alec's face as he glanced past Magnus to Jace. "I think I've got a plan."


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, so here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy it! I'm totally excited about Lexis. I think he's my favorite character that I've made for this fanfic, haha!**

**Chapter 11**

"Do you really think this will work?" Alec asked, his voice laced with anxiety.

Rolling his eyes, Magnus looked at Alec sitting on the bed through the mirror he was using to straighten the collar of his cloak. "It's your plan. Of course it's going to work," he replied with a grin.

Alec's blue eyes narrowed. "Your faith in me is so very comforting," he said sarcastically. Resting his chin on his fist, Alec sighed.

Magnus, collar perfectly aligned, turned to look at his lover. "Look, everything is going to be fine." But Alec didn't seem to feel comforted by Magnus's words. He flopped backwards on the bed, arms splayed out like a spread-eagle and eyes closed. A smile teased Magnus's lips. Quietly he moved to sit beside Alec. Gently, he lay back on Alec's arm. The pressure made Alec open his eyes and gaze at Magnus.

"What?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking how it ought to be me in a wreck over this situation, not you."

"Why?"

"Well, Alec, in case you haven't noticed, I'm a little over-protective of Katherine. And now she's been taken, probably by the same people who abused her before. Yet, for some reason, I'm rather calm."

Alec study Magnus's eyes for a moment. "I guess that's true."

"Do you know why, though?"

Alec shook his head in answer.

Laying a hand on Alec's cheek, Magnus told him, "It's because of you. The fact that you're being so rational about all of this has helped me stay sane." The whisper of a smile showed at the corners of Alec's face.

"You're so corny," he chuckled.

Magnus sat up, his arms spread wide in protest. "What do you mean corny? That was the most heartfelt thing I've ever—" Magnus's words stopped because another set of lips had covered his. Laughing softly into Alec's mouth, Magnus conceded, losing himself in Alec.

*SPACE*

Simon had to fight not to space out while Jace and Clary argued over the plan, even though she'd already lost once. Since the plan involved endangering Simon—and he pointed out many times that he wouldn't really be in danger because of the Mark—naturally Clary didn't like it. Alec had suggested that they send Simon to the address they'd pinpointed Maia at. He was to act as bait to draw the kidnappers out of the building. Magnus had pointed out that the kidnappers might try to destroy all evidence of what they'd been doing so he proposed trapping as many as they could outside then storm in.

Heaving a huge yawn—which was more of a gesture of boredom than actually need—Simon pushed himself off of the couch. Clary and Jace were so engrossed in their argument that neither one noticed him. Thankful for his vampire stealth abilities, Simon escaped into the kitchen. The room was empty except for Lexis's bent form at the sink. His back was to Simon and he jumped when Simon said, "Hey."

Whipping around, Lexis stared wide-eyed at Simon. "Simon!" he exclaimed. But when he spoke Simon's name, he pronounced with a French accent making it sound like, "Simone!" The werewolf refused to meet Simon's eyes still.

"You okay?" Simon asked.

"Uh, y-yes. I am fine. I just did not hear you come in." Lexis gripped the countertop behind him so hard that the skin at his knuckles had turned white. "Um, excuse me." Rushing to the door, Lexis nearly ran straight into Logan.

"Slow down, kid," Logan said calmly as Lexis swept past him. Turning his eyes to Simon, Logan asked, "He okay?"

_I have no idea_, Simon thought to himself, but he just shrugged at Logan. Staring after Lexis with sapphire blue eyes, Logan said, without looking up, "It looks like Bat's out of commission."

"What? Why?" Simon asked, his brow furrowing.

"The warlock said he was probably allergic to the shit they injected us with. He's still hurling in the bathroom." Logan crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"_The warlock_ has a name," remarked a tall shadow in the doorway. Magnus stepped into the kitchen, Alec just behind him. Logan just stared at Magnus with tired eyes that seemed far too old be his. Then, a voice called down the hall.

"Logan! Lexis! I need some help in here!" Simon recognized the voice as Cody's. He followed after the others to the hallway bathroom. Looking over Alec's shoulder, Simon saw Bat feebly attempting to push himself to his feet while Cody flitted around him like a mother hen. "Look, Bat, you shouldn't be moving yet. C'mon man! You need to rest," Cody insisted. But Bat was stubborn. Simon watched the muscles in Bat's body tense as he tried once more to lift himself, but he crashed back down, slamming his chin on the toilet seat. A second later, Simon had to look away as Bat threw up. When he turned back, Bat was on his feet, but he had to use the sink for support.

"I'm fine. Back off guys," Bat growled. His voice was strong, but his body betrayed him. Visible tremors ran through him in waves. A dark figure appeared at Simon's shoulder. It was Lexis. He peered around Simon, concern creasing his brow.

"It is not wise to move, Bat," Lexis said, pushing his way into the bathroom. Bat shot Lexis a dark glare before he tried taking a step forward. Thankfully, Lexis and Cody were there to catch him before he crashed to the ground.

"That's it," Magnus sighed impatiently. He pointed at Lexis and Cody. "You two, sit him on the ground. I'm going to place a binding hex on the room so he can't get out." Transferring his cat eyes to Bat who was being lowered to the ground, Magnus growled, "And you, werewolf, you'd better not vomit on my tile floor. If you do, I will not hesitate to make you eat it. Understand?"

Bat glowered up at him. "I'm not staying here. I can still—" But they never got to hear what he could still do because Magnus slammed the door shut. He made quick, sweeping motions across the door. Seconds later, pounding sounded at the door, accompanied by furious shouts.

"What if something happens to all of us? How will he get out?" Logan inquired, his deep voice calm despite the situation his pack mate was in.

"Oh, don't worry. If I'm dead or unconscious the hex will no longer be in effect," Magnus assured him. "Now that that's taken care of, why don't we initiate plan Rescue Katherine?"

"Don't forget Maia," Simon added.

Waving a hand in the air, Magnus replied, "Yes, yes the werewolf girl, too. Now can we please get going?" Alec rolled his eyes and headed into the living room. But when he came to the open arch leading to the living room, he stopped dead.

Then his shoulders slumped and he grumbled, "Can't you two get a room?" Simon could guess what had made Alec halt. Sure enough, when Simon stepped into the room, Jace and Clary were avoiding eye contact with each other. Clary nervously tried to smooth her tousled hair as Simon walked over to her. She cleared her throat before nonchalantly saying,

"So what's up?"

"Well, if the two of you can keep your mitts off each other for a few minutes, we were about to head out to retrieve Katherine," Magnus told her, his tone harsh. Then he added almost as an afterthought, "And the werewolf girl Mia or…whatever."

"Maia," corrected Simon, but Magnus paid him no mind. He simply strutted to the door and started down the stairs. Jace and Alec exchanged a look before following him. After them trailed Logan with Cody, bouncing excitedly at his side. Lexis turned around at the door to gaze at Clary and Simon.

"Are you coming?" he asked. Simon blinked and looked at Clary. She was practically drooling. Exasperatedly, Simon inconspicuously pinched her arm.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, turning an accusatory glare on him.

"Well, sorry but I didn't think Lexis appreciated being ogled like he was a scrumptious antelope for you to sink your lioness claws into," Simon remarked. Clary's cheeks flushed and Simon couldn't keep his senses from reacting to the sudden flow of blood. He wasn't particularly hungry, fortunately, but he was still in trouble with Clary. She obviously didn't like him calling her out on her reaction to Lexis—who was standing awkwardly in the doorway. Narrowing her eyes, Clary stalked away from Simon in mock anger, leaving Simon and Lexis alone.

Being alone with Simon seemed to make Lexis even more uncomfortable. The beat of his heart sped up and his breathing became ever so slightly labored. "Are you alright?" Simon asked hesitantly.

"O-Oui, monsieur. Je vais bien," stammered Lexis.

"Um, sorry, I took Spanish…"

"P-Pardon." Lexis quickly turned to leave, but a hand shot out to grab his arm.

"He starts speaking French when he gets really flustered," explained the smooth baritone of Logan's voice. "It's a defensive mechanism." His towering shadow appeared in the archway. Releasing Lexis's arm, Logan patted him comfortingly on the shoulder before looking at Simon with something like curiosity in his eyes. "But it's not often Lexis gets that rattled."

Simon caught Lexis throwing a nervous glance at him over Logan's shoulder then he rushed to the stairs. "Did I do something to make him uncomfortable around me?"

"I don't know. You tell me."

Simon didn't get a chance to reply because a group of agitated voices called up to them from downstairs. Logan watched him a moment longer before exiting.

_Why me?_ Simon screamed silently to the heavens as he descended the steps.


	12. Chapter 12

**It's so sad that this story is going to end soon! :( There's only like a couple more chapters I think…then it's over! *PAINSTAKEN GASP* I'm going miss all my peoplezz! Anyway, sorry about that. I had a moment. Hope you like the new chapter! Review plehz! ;)**

**Chapter 12**

Watching Simon's dark figure disappear around the block, Alec worried at his bottom lip. This whole operation was risky. Simon, of course, wasn't in any danger, but Katherine was most definitely in harm's way. And if Katherine got hurt one way or another, Magnus would suffer nearly as much.

Bunching his jacket around himself, Alec turned to head into the abandoned apartment building they were using as a hideout. He, Clary, and Jace had seen Simon off, giving him precise directions to simply lure the people out of the building. Alec led the way to the broken window he'd picked out earlier to observe from. Through the dirt-smudged, jagged glass, he could distinctly see Simon sauntering casually up the walkway.

The address Magnus had pinpointed Maia at was a rundown little bug of a building. It crouched like a roach while it nestled between two much taller structures. There were absolutely no windows, and Alec deduced that most of the experimental goings on happened somewhere underground, beneath the tiny pest of a building.

"You're so tense," commented Magnus's smooth voice. He stood behind Alec and reached up to massage his shoulders.

"There's a lot to be tense about," replied Alec without taking his eyes from Simon's silhouette. He'd reached the door and was reaching to press the buzzer. The plan was for Simon to bring as many people out as he could with the bait that his car had broken down—a scene which Magnus provided. At the end of the street there squatted a beat-up, red Cadillac. Magnus had mysteriously summoned the vehicle. Under the circumstances, Alec hadn't bothered to ask where he'd gotten it.

"I still say this was a bad idea," Clary muttered. She leaned against the wall, looking out the window next to Alec's. The door had been answered and Simon was now speaking to someone across the threshold. He gestured toward the car then the figure in the doorway disappeared for a moment. Then, he reappeared with several others and the group followed Simon toward the road. It looked like the plan was going to work.

"He literally _can't_ be harmed. What's the worst that could happen?" Jace said. He'd been watching with Clary, but as he spoke he moved his gaze to her. Most of the other heads had turned in their direction as well, including Alec's.

"That," Clary replied, pointing her finger out the window. Everybody's eyes looked back to find Simon struggling with the group. They'd placed a cloth over his face and begun dragging him back toward the building.

Clary was nearly out the door before Jace caught her. "Wait! Clary we can't just go bursting in there. Like I said before, Simon's fine for now. We need a plan." She gave him a dark glare before growling,

"Well, you better come up with one fast."

"Why do you so have little concern for your friend? He may be a vampire, but these people kidnapped Katherine from a room occupied by werewolves, a Shadowhunter, and a warlock. They are obviously prepared to deal with Downworlders," Lexis pointed out. Logan and Cody seemed to be speculating the same thing because they both crossed their arms and turned their heads to look expectantly at Clary and Jace.

But before either could think of a reply, Magnus answered for them. "Aside from being a Daylighter, Simon has another strange quality. What it is and how he got it is nothing of concern. You simply need to know that he is virtually invincible."

Lexis's brow rose at that last word, but he said nothing else.

"Can we please hurry up and decide what to do?" Clary snapped impatiently.

"Calm down, missy. No need to get your panties in a twist." Magnus's tone was irritatingly patronizing as he waved a dismissive hand at her. Her hands curled into fists, but before she could do anything, Alec interjected.

"Alright, everybody, just calm down. We need to stay reasonable." He paused, giving everyone a stern look. "Now then, I think we should sneak around to the back entrance. I went over the floor plans before we got here." He produced a large paper scattered with blueprints. "There are three floors to that building. Two are underground. Magnus couldn't pinpoint Maia's location, but he says she's on the bottom-most floor. Logan, Bat, and Cody, you three and Magnus will head to Maia when we're inside. Most likely, Katherine will be somewhere near her so you can get them both. Clary, Jace, and I will Mark up then we'll take Lexis and find Simon. Once we've each found our target, we'll rendezvous on the middle floor."

"Do we have an estimate of how many people are in there?" Logan asked, his expression serious.

"Probably not many. This is a research facility anyway. The workers in there will most likely be easily incapacitated. And we're _only_ knocking them out. No blood is to be spilled, understand? What they're doing may be wrong, but they're still humans," commanded Alec.

"Look at you, being all responsible," Magnus purred. Alec avoided his eyes and pretended to ignore him, but a rush of blood crept into his cheeks.

Alec cleared his throat before continuing, "Is everybody clear on what they're doing?" All of them nodded. "Then let's go." Brushing quickly past Magnus, Alec headed straight for the door. Awkwardly, the rest followed. Clary noticed that instead of hurrying to keep up with Alec, Magnus lagged behind to stroll leisurely with the werewolves, specifically Lexis. They didn't say anything to each other, but Lexis seemed oddly aware of Magnus. He walked closely to Logan as if he wanted to stay as far away from Magnus as he could.

"Clary!" Jace exclaimed. A steel grip yanked her roughly to the right. Losing her balance, Clary collided with Jace's broad chest. "Watch where you're going. I can't save you from every pothole." Confused, Clary looked at the ground. Sure enough, a huge gap yawned in the pavement where she'd been about to step.

"Sorry. Thanks," she said.

Pushing her off of him, Jace refused to meet her eyes. "Just be careful." Then he stalked off after Alec.

"Seems both our boys are rather moody, huh?" a smooth voice chuckled. Magnus was staring after Jace and Alec—though probably more after Alec than Jace—a wistful expression on his face.

"Well, at least you know why _yours_ is moody. I can't figure out what's wrong with Jace," Clary complained.

"I'm sure you will soon enough."

(SPACE)

All eight of them crouched in the shadow of the building as Alec carefully tested the door to see if it was locked, the fresh Marks on his skin burning slightly. When the handle gave a soft click, Alec glanced back at Jace and gave him an affirming nod. Stealthily, he pulled it open and peered inside. The door opened onto a short, empty hallway.

Quickly, each of them slid through to huddle in the hall. The dim light provided by the single, bare light bulb barely showed them that the hall was in terrible condition. Beige paint peeled away from the walls and the dingy floor tiles were broken and missing in some places. With the skill of a trained assassin, Alec crawled to the door at the end of the hall. When he looked out of the glass in the upper half of the door, he was disappointed to find the next room to be in the same condition as the hall. Empty and decaying.

_Is this really the right place?_ Alec asked silently. But he kept moving forward. The room they entered looked like it had once been an office. Cubicle walls were collapsing in on themselves while several of sheets of paper waved greetings to the intruders.

"Did you hear that?" Cody blurted a bit too loudly. Logan smacked him over the head. "Ow!" the younger boy protested, rubbing his head, though he'd gotten the message. He whispered his exclamation, thankfully. "I'm serious. It sounded like a scream. You guys didn't hear it?"

"Well, you always did have freakishly good hearing, even for a werewolf," Logan mumbled.

"Where is it coming from?" Clary asked.

Cody listened for a moment then, "That way." He pointed to a door on the left side of the room. There were three other doors in the right wall. Two of them were marked as bathrooms, and the other one had the stairwell sign on it.

"Okay. Magnus, Cody, Bat, Logan, take the stairs. Lexis, Clary, Jace, we'll go after the screams," Alec ordered. He felt a little surprised at himself. Normally, Jace would be the one in command, but throughout this whole thing, Jace had seemed quite docile. So Alec had taken the initiative to organize and lead their group. He couldn't stop a bud of pride from flowering in his chest.

A warm hand lay on Alec's shoulder. Startled, he looked up to find Magnus standing there. "Be careful. Please," he whispered. Shyly, Alec gave a curt nod and shrugged Magnus's hand off then started for the door.

Alec, Jace, Lexis, and Clary were heading down a very brightly lit passage that veered off to the left into a waiting area. It had once probably been a doctor's office. Confused, they turned back to look for a door in the passage, but there were none besides the one they'd come through.

Suddenly, a terrified cry seemed to radiate from the longer wall of the passage. Clary pressed against it with her hands, urgently trying to get through. "Simon!" she called. Alec glanced around for any kind of switch that could possibly open a secret door.

Clumsily, Lexis tripped over a broken floor tile and knocked a statue over on the receptionist desk. Then a soft pop sounded and a crack appeared in the peeling paint of the wall. Through the crack, a shout of horror pierced the air.

Hand ready at his seraph blade, Alec shoved the hidden door open and barged in. But the sight before him wasn't quite what he'd expected.

Under a blinding light, Simon sat in a chair similar to a dentist's. It looked as if someone had tried to bind his wrists and ankles to the chair with silver chains, but the Mark of Cain on his forehead had prevented that. On either side of the chair lay shining chains half buried in piles of salt. Alec thought he might be sick, but he fought it down.

The terrified scream had come from a skinny man in a lab coat cowering in the corner. He rocked on his heels, his face buried in his knees.

"Simon!" gasped Lexis's thick accent. He'd come in after Alec, and behind him was Clary who sucked in a shallow breath when she caught sight of Simon before rushing to him.

With an irritated sigh, Alec stepped over to the quivering man. "He must have seen it happen," said a deep voice. Jace was gazing at the man with cold pity.

"What should we do with him?" Alec asked. Jace met his eyes for a moment before shrugging.

"Knock him out for now." Then he turned to watch Clary and Simon. Delivering a clean blow, Alec caught the man and lowered him carefully to the ground. When he stood up, Simon was hugging Clary.

"Thanks for coming to get me, guys. Where is everybody else?" Simon said.

"They've gone to the lower levels to look for Katherine and Maia," replied Alec. "Now that you're safe, we should probably go see if they need help."

"Weren't we supposed to wait for them on the second floor?" Clary asked.

Alec had to admit that he'd rather make sure that Magnus was okay than follow their original plan. But he decided not to let them know that. "Well, it didn't take us long at all to find Simon. I'd assumed that it would take us a lot longer."

Without giving his companions a chance to question him, Alec stepped to the door. Hurriedly, he swept down the passage, through the office area, and across the room.

"Wait. Maybe we should have somebody stay here and guard," suggested Jace.

"Lexis and I will stay behind," Simon volunteered.

"Okay, fine. Now let's go," Alec urged.

(SPACE)

Simon watched the door swing shut behind Alec, Jace, and Clary. Then he turned and asked the question that had been itching at him for hours. "Do you have some kind of problem with me?"

"What?" Lexis said, a little startled.

"Ever since Magnus's house you've been avoiding me, and you're always tense around me. Did I do something to make you angry? I mean, at Magnus's it looked like you wanted to eat my face off for a minute. Is it because I'm a vampire? Because I thought you were cool with that."

"N-No! Of course not! Simon, I—" Lexis choked off, the words caught in his throat.

"Then what? Look, if you don't like me, fine. But don't just suddenly start ignoring me."

"Simon, you do not understand." Lexis was fighting the urge to start speaking in French.

Taking a deep breath, Simon calmly said, "Then explain it to me."

When Lexis opened his mouth to speak, nothing came out. He stared at Simon, dark eyes filled with desperation. Sighing, he breathed, "Je regrette, Simon. I'm sorry."

"What do you have to be sorry for?"

Lexis swallowed the sick feeling rising in his stomach before he whispered, "For falling in love with you."

** *Gasp*! What will Simon do now! How will he react to this unexpected confession? Only one way to find out… Review! ;)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Tada! Enjoy this feast of scrumptious words and sentences and stuff :) Sorry, I'm in a silly mood. Anyway, I hope you like it! Review please!**

**Chapter 13**

The second level of the building wasn't much different from the first. The only main differences were the long cafeteria tables and the vending machines. But the condition was much the same; it obviously hadn't been used in quite some time.

There were also less doors leading off from this room. Only one lone door stood in the far wall. Eagerly, the group opened the door and sped down yet another flight of stairs. At the bottom, a heavy, steel door blocked their path. Its clean, smooth surface seemed out of place in the decrepit setting.

Alec opened the door a bit, allowing cold, bright light to spill through. Once his eyes adjusted, Alec saw that the area beyond was obviously freshly built. The long walls were spotless white along with the polished tiled floor. All down the hallway were doors similar to those used in a high-security detention facility. They were completely blank except for the handle and the slot used to push food through.

He poked his head around the door to look the other direction. It was silent, nobody around. Gingerly, Alec edged over to one of the doors and slid open the slot. Inside, a short, scrawny boy in a dirty hospital gown—exactly like the one they'd found Katherine in—was lying on the floor. The cap of blond hair on his head looked like it had been used to mop up oil. These people weren't just performing experiments on innocents. They were neglecting their test subjects of their natural rights.

"What do you see?" Clary whispered.

Alec simply moved away from the door to let her see for herself. The boy in the room began humming an uneven tune. When Clary looked in, she covered her mouth, her eyes wide with horror. Jace, who was peering over her shoulder, tensed.

"We need to stop this," he declared. His face turned to one of determination, making Alec more adamant himself. A new fire burned in Clary's green eyes, and her jaw clenched.

"I think we're all agreed on that," Alec said. "But should we free these ones first or go after Magnus and Katherine?"

"Let's find Katherine first. Then kill the sons of bitches who own this place. Then these kids can be free."

Clary and Alec nodded and Jace led the way to the door at the end of the corridor. Retrieving a seraph blade from his belt, Jace placed a hand on the handle. Looking back at Alec, their eyes met for just a second then he turned the doorknob.

(SPACE)

"You-You... _What?_" Simon gasped after the seemingly endless silence. Lexis fiddled uncomfortably with the hem of his black shirt and stared at the ground. "You… You're in love with me?" Simon asked slowly. He couldn't quite grasp all of this.

"Oui, Simon. That is why I nearly lost control when I unexpectedly fell on you. You-You just smell so…" Lexis trailed off, searching for the words.

"Revolting? I mean, shouldn't I disgust you? We're supposed to be, like, natural enemies! How can you love me?"

Lexis's eyes seemed to flicker for a moment, as if looking deep into the past. "Actually, though I was born a werewolf, my parents were killed shortly after my birth. I was left alone on the streets with just a box and a ratty blanket for shelter; my family strewn around me in a bloody circle. If I hadn't been a werewolf, I probably wouldn't have survived the cold and hunger. I was frozen and starving by the time my adoptive parents found me.

"A vampire couple who'd never liked vampire politics took pity on me. They raised me as the child they'd never have. When it came time for my first transformation, they knew I needed to be part of a pack. It was the best thing for me. So they sent me here, imploring Luke to take me under his wing. I've never felt the so-called instinctual hate for vampires that so many of my kind feel. In fact, I often find myself more comfortable in the presence of vampires than werewolves. Just like you, I am an outcast."

Simon knew that his dumbstruck face must have been priceless, but right then, he couldn't help it. Just a moment ago, he'd thought Lexis hated him and wanted to rip his guts out. Now, he found out that it was the exact opposite. He wasn't a homophobe or anything, but this was entirely unexpected, and he was beginning to notice that the two of them were alone in a room together.

While Simon had been trying to process this, Lexis moved closer to him, anxiety pricking at him because of Simon's prolonged silence. Finally, Simon blinked. Then his feet seemed to become very conscious that there were only a few feet between he and Lexis. They clumsily moved him backward—directly into one of the office desks.

Losing his footing, Simon toppled backward. He landed hard with a grunt.

When he pushed himself onto his elbows, Simon saw that Lexis had moved himself across the room as if he had an infectious disease and didn't want Simon to catch it._ Come _on_, idiot! Talk about being insensitive!_ Simon scolded himself.

Carefully, trying not to frighten Lexis, he positioned himself so that he sat on top of the desk. It wasn't very comfortable, but it would do. "Look…why don't you come sit over here?" he suggested, patting the place beside him. Lexis's wide, dark eyes snapped up, brimming with surprise and a twinge of hope. Hesitantly, he walked back across the room and hopped onto the table next to Simon. Heaving a huge sigh, Simon began, "So. I think we should talk about this."

(SPACE)

The moment Jace cracked the door just a tad, blue sparks exploded from the other side. The door was wrenched open and Clary, Alec, and Jace were thrown backward. When they recovered, they saw three large, furry lumps on the floor. Bat, Logan, and Cody were sprawled on the floor in werewolf form. All of them had long syringes poking out of their flanks

Magnus's tall silhouette stood in front of them, holding off several other people in white coats with his fiery blue sparks. Alec felt alarm like a shrill siren in his mind when he spotted the needle protruding from Magnus's ribcage. He began to stagger backward, fighting to stay conscious.

Alec rushed forward, seraph blade in hand, to catch Magnus before he fell. Jace and Clary streamed in after him and positioned themselves between them and the lab coated men.

"Help Katherine," Magnus managed to mumble as he yanked to syringe from his side. Alec lowered him into a sitting position. Looking around, he spied Katherine. The tiny girl was gagged and strapped to a vertical table behind the men in coats.

"They're human. We just need to detain them. Don't harm them," Alec ordered, pushing himself to his feet.

There were five men, all rather scrawny, and human at that. No problem for the three of them.

Alec sidestepped a tall, lanky man with graying brown hair as he thrust a broken beaker toward Alec. Quickly dispatching him, Alec grabbed the next man by the front of his shirt and cracked his own forehead against the other man's. The guy crumpled to the floor like paper.

Clary, on Alec's right, had another man in a chokehold while Jace, on Alec's other side, had one man on the floor, binding his wrists with cord. That left one guy. He was larger than the rest, but he was still pretty pathetic. He had a black dart gun aimed straight at Alec's chest. This guy was the one who'd shot Logan, Cody, Bat, and…Magnus.

Fury bubbled inside Alec. Swiftly, Alec smacked the gun out of the man's hand, and it clattered to the floor. Then he swiped his foot across the back of the guy's knees, forcing him on his back. Planting his knee hard on the man's chest, Alec bore over the cowering idiot. He whimpered like a dog, sheltering his face with his hands. Mercilessly, Alec yanked the man's hands down and hit him across the jaw hard enough to knock him out.

Straightening up, Alec looked at Katherine. Her blue eyes were wide in what he assumed was fear, but a moment later he found that his assumption was totally wrong. Her eyes were a pleading warning about the tall woman who stepped out from behind the table Katherine was bound to.

"Well, well, look what we have here," the woman purred. Her short, curly hair was a blinding shade of silver, as was the long, smooth tail that flicked behind her.

Behind Alec, an astonished voice breathed, "Tesla!"

The woman's red lips curled into a sneering grin as she hissed, "Why if it isn't my dear little brother."

**OMG! Who could Tesla's brother be! Review to find out haha! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**SPECIAL MENTION TO: Kpcw, your review made me giggle. I thank you greatly for the cookie. It was delicious, ;) and I hope that bunny was well-paid, because it was ADORABLE! Anyway, thanks everybody for the reviews, I really appreciate them! Now, on with the story! :D**

**Chapter 14**

An awkward silence had filled the air for about fifteen minutes. Simon sat, staring at his hands in his lap. Lexis seemed gloomy, head bowed so that his hair hid his eyes.

"So…" Simon began, but he couldn't think of anything to say so he just went silent again.

"I am sorry, Simon," Lexis muttered. His French accent only accentuated his misery.

"Look, you can stop apologizing. I just… I just don't know where to go from here. I mean, I'm not gay so it's not like we could be like Alec and Magnus."

Lexis's head snapped up. "And I don't expect that! No, I-I just—" His dark eyes glistened with sadness. Lowering his head again, Lexis whispered so quietly that Simon wouldn't have heard him had he not been a vampire. "I just don't want this to be like that time."

"'That time'? What do you mean?"

Lexis swallowed hard before replying. "A couple years after I came to live in Luke's pack, I met a boy." He paused, laboring to keep his breath steady. "He was a vampire. I fell in love with him, and he with me. We were happy for a time, but then our friends began to…express their disapproving of our relationship I suppose you'd call it. His clan attacked us several times, as did some members from my pack—though Luke had ordered it left alone. Eventually, things became so dangerous for the both of us that we decided to run away together. But then—" Lexis choked off, tears shining in his eyes.

Hesitantly, Simon placed a comforting hand on Lexis's shoulder. But Lexis didn't seem to notice. His eyes were gazing deep into a painful past.

Regaining control, Lexis continued, "But then, some of his friends found out he was trying to leave with me. They got jealous and came after us. When they caught up, they wanted to fight _me_, but he wouldn't let them. He stood up to them and—and—" Lexis took in a shuddering breath. "They killed him. I barely got away. I would've been killed as well had Cody and Logan not helped me."

"So that's why you three are so close."

Lexis nodded. "Logan and Cody were the only ones who didn't shun me for falling in love with a vampire."

"Lexis, nothing like that could happen with us. One, I'm not even part of a clan, and Luke's a good friend of mine. Two… Well, it wouldn't be possible between us…" Simon drifted off, feeling like the worst person in the world for rejecting Lexis.

But Lexis turned his dark eyes on Simon, a tired smile playing across his lips. "I know, Simon. I knew that from the start. But one cannot control their feelings."

Simon knew that all too well. He remembered when he'd been in love with Clary and how he'd despised Jace for taking her away from him.

After a moment, Simon clapped Lexis on the back and hopped off the table. "How about we go check on how things are going downstairs?"

(SPACE)

Alec gaped at Magnus and the woman named he'd just called Tesla. Once he'd gotten over the initial shock, he asked incredulously, "_Another_ secret sibling?"

Magnus bowed his head in irritation. "I wasn't keeping her secret from you, Alexander. I thought she was dead." He spat the last sentence venomously, glaring at Tesla from where he sat on the floor.

"That's right, dear Maggie. You thought I'd perished in that silly fire along with our sweet little sister," Tesla sneered. "But you were _so completely_ wrong."

"I don't understand Tess. Why are you here? Was all of this," he looked around, "your idea?"

"Of course. Who else? You think some stupid mundane would've been able to concoct such an elaborate scheme?"

_Great. She's cocky, too,_ Alec sighed inwardly.

"Tesla," Magnus began. He started trying to push himself to his feet, but his body was clumsy from the drug. Alec wrapped Magnus's arm around his shoulder and helped him up. "You always were the demon of the family." Alec felt a little surprised. Magnus rarely took a tone like that with anyone. But his eyes were completely serious as he stared at his older sister.

"Mm, no, I beg to differ. I believe the demon in our family was Papa. But then, you never met him, did you?"

Magnus stiffened.

Then Tesla's eyes slid to watch Alec. "Who is the Shadowhunter? Don't tell me you're still eating little boys for your meals." She winked at me, a smirk curling her features.

"My love life is none of your business. You gave up that right the moment you set that fire."

Tesla's eyebrows rose and she clapped her hands. "Oh! So you figured it out! I thought I'd have to spell it out for you."

"I'm not the head warlock of Brooklyn for nothing," Magnus said, bragging just enough so that he established his dominance in the situation. Alec couldn't help but feel a little pride well up at Magnus's position in this. He was the mature one, taking the high road, something Alec himself would do.

"Oh, yes. I know all about your little status among the Downworlders. But you see, status doesn't mean a thing to me. And your status isn't going to help you down here." Tesla stepped into the middle of the room. She wore stiletto heels that were at least three inches high and clicked with every slow step she took. Her blood red lips widened in a grin as her electric blue eyes started at Alec and Magnus. "Now then, I have a little surprise for you, Maggie. I think you'll enjoy it quite a lot."

Raising her right hand, Tesla snapped her red-painted fingers. From behind Katherine's table, yet another figure stepped into view.

Magnus's jaw dropped.

It took Alec a moment to understand. For a second, he thought he was looking at a clone of Katherine. Then he remembered that she was a twin.

This new girl was Citalee.

And she was quite alive.


	15. Chapter 15

** Thanks for the reviews everybody! :) They really mean a lot! I hope you guys like this chapter! Review please!**

**Chapter 15**

"I can't believe you!" Magnus shouted. He was releasing blue sparks of rage. "You started that fire just so that you could kidnap Citalee. I knew you were evil, but this is low even for you."

Tesla sneered and laughed sinisterly. "Oh, how right you are. We are all evil. Every one of us. You, me, each and every person in this room is evil." As she spoke, she crouched next to one of the passed out guys in lab coats. Placing a tender hand on the guy's back, she muttered softly, "Except for these wonderful creatures."

Alec blinked and asked, "Humans?"

Without raising her head, Tesla smiled and replied, "Yes. Humans are such perfect beings." Her voice was wistful as if she were talking about rainbows or sunsets. Alec felt on the contrary. Humans were the most imperfect of all.

Surprised by the affection in her eyes as she gazed down at the man, Alec wondered why she felt so strongly about humans. Stroking her hands through the unconscious man's peppery brown hair, Tesla sighed longingly. "You never understood, Maggie. You were always so obsessed with eternal love that you never saw the flaws in our immortality."

Magnus's cat eyes glimmered sadly for a moment, but then he blinked and when he opened his eyes, they were hard and determined. "You're right. I didn't understand. But now I do. Time wiped clean the makeup on the face of immortality, revealing the hideous blemishes. I just needed the experience of half a century—something you'd already had by the time I was born. You cannot blame me for being young and ignorant," he said.

Tesla's slim tail flicked irritably. "Citalee, bind them," she snapped.

Before Alec or Magnus could react, Citalee struck an arm through the air as if she were backhanding someone across the face and heavy bronze chains twined around Alec, Magnus, Clary, and Jace. Shoved against one another, Magnus and Alec sunk to the ground with a yelp along with Clary and Jace. Tesla rose, a smirk twisting her pretty features.

"So you're using her as your weapon. You never were very good with combat spells," Magnus spat.

Her blue eyes burned with hatred. "I always felt you used that tongue of yours far too often, brother," she said. Tesla was an attractive warlock, but the demonic aura her hatred and jealousy created cancelled out her potential beauty. Alec couldn't help feeling pity for her. Silver tail lashing triumphantly behind her, Tesla grinned down at them. She snapped her fingers, and Citalee was there in the next moment, something shiny in her hands.

Alec's eyes widened when he caught sight of the silver blade Citalee handed Tesla. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Tesla barely spared Alec a glance.

Instead, Magnus answered, "She's going to perform a transfer."

"You know me so well," Tesla laughed, throwing her head back.

"What kind of transfer?" Alec asked.

Magnus's expression darkened. "A power transfer. She wants to force me into giving her my powers."

Alec struggled viciously against their bonds. "I won't let you hurt him!"

"Oh, don't worry, little Shadowhunter. I don't intend on inflicting any wounds on my younger brother," Tesla sneered

Alec blinked, confused. It took him a moment, but then he caught on. Tesla seemed to recognize the realization in his face because she grinned menacingly as she knelt beside Alec. He began fighting against the chains, frantic to escape. Tesla raised a finger to his lips, making a shushing noise. "Calm, little boy," she murmured. Her touch stilled Alec as if she'd paralyzed him.

Her blue eyes seemed to distort into a swirl of mesmerizing shades of icy cerulean. Alec's racing heart calmed, lowering to a dangerously low pace, but Alec didn't care. Nothing mattered right then besides those intense eyes.

"Tesla," warned a deep voice. Alec was pulled out of his dream state—though he continued to feel a bit fuzzy. Blinking, he realized that while he'd been entranced Tesla had shifted the blade so that it pressed into the skin at the base of his neck.

"Only you can make me stop, Maggie," she said.

There was a long pause. Alec couldn't move to look at Magnus's face, but he knew he was fighting inside. _Don't do it, Magnus!_ He screamed at Magnus silently. _You can't give her your powers!_

"Alright," said Magnus's tired voice. "I will transfer my powers to you only if—and _only if_—you allow Alec, the werewolves, and the Daylighter upstairs get out of here unscathed."

"I'm afraid you're not in a position to bargain, brother," replied Tesla. Alec felt the sting of the dagger as it bit into his skin and warm blood trickled down into the hollow of his neck.

"Stop! I will not do the transfer if you don't guarantee their safety."

Tesla's eyes shone brightly as she dug the blade farther into Alec's skin. Alec prayed that Magnus wouldn't fold. It would be a terrible thing if he did. It'd show Tesla she could manipulate him with a simple threat. Thankfully, Magnus stayed silent as Tesla continued to deepen the cut. Alec started feeling nervous that she was actually going to deeply gash his throat when she finally scowled and took her hand from his neck. "You always were a stubborn ingrate!" she growled.

Delivering a cold, contemptuous glare to Alec, she snapped her fingers and Citalee appeared by her side once again. Something about the girl's movements and expression felt empty.

Alec felt Magnus tense beside him. "Citalee, sweetie, it's me, Maggie. Snap out of it, please," he begged. Alec asked why she was acting so strangely. "Tess has her under a slave spell. She doesn't remember who she is and has no sense of self."

"That's horrible! How can you do that to your own _sister_?" Alec said, disgust saturating his tone.

But instead of answering, Tesla simply sneered at Alec. "You are no better than us, Shadowhunter. You're kind is the worst of all. All of you throw your mortal lives around like they mean nothing! It's _infuriating_!" she raged.

"Maybe we do, but it's only to protect humans. And though you may find us terrible, you're worse. We do not enslave our own family." Alec spoke the last sentence slowly and coldly, swiveling his eyes to stare pointedly at Citalee.

Tesla's eyes glittered with malice.

"Alec's right! You're a horrible person!" It was Clary. Alec had almost forgotten she and Jace were still in the room. Tesla had paid them no mind, and she didn't now. She barely even glanced in Clary's direction.

"You are mistaken, little Shadowhunter. This girl was never my sister." Before Alec could even register that she'd moved, Tesla positioned herself so that she had her dagger at Citalee's throat.

For a moment, the world seemed to freeze as if it were afraid to let another second pass.

Then the room exploded.

** Don't forget to review! Reviewing always encourages writers to continue! :) Gracias!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hola, mis amigos! Here is the next chapter! :D Now, before you start celebrating too much, I'm obligated to inform you that this is the last chapter (and also the longest, strangely). And**** BIG ANNOUNCEMENT:**** I am strongly considering writing a sort of sequel to this story. I'll tell you what it involves at the end because I don't want to give spoilers. ;) But I'm going to take a poll. If at least two people review saying they want the sequel then I will write it… If they don't I may just do it anyway, but probably not. So vote please! :)**

**Chapter 16**

For a moment, Alec was too stunned to do anything. He watched Simon and Lexis burst through the door—Lexis in werewolf form with his shaggy black fur and menacing, long fangs and claws. The pair used their advantage of speed and surprise to attack Tesla.

_What an ironic combat pair,_ Alec couldn't help laughing inwardly.

Even one as old and experienced as Tesla couldn't defend against them. Lexis lunged straight at her, slamming her to the ground with enough force to crack a human skull. Meanwhile, Simon rapidly bound her hands with some strange plastic-like wire. Tesla raged and screamed and cursed at them. Brilliant blue sparks erupted from her fingertips, singeing Simon's clothes, but he hardly noticed. Once her hands were bound, the flying sparks stopped.

Then Simon straightened up and untangled Clary and Jace from their chains, and then he helped Alec and Magnus.

"What did you do?" Alec asked, staring at the struggling warlock under Lexis's bulky form.

"We found those wire things on our way down here. One of the people in the cells outside told us that they suppress magic," Simon explained.

"They talked to you?" Clary asked, surprised.

Before Simon could reply, Tesla shrieked, "Would you get this great lump of disgusting slobber and fur _off of me_!"

Lexis barked indignantly and opened his mouth so that a stream of spit poured onto her face. Alec couldn't keep the grin off his face. Tesla writhed and screamed, trying to escape from the wolf slobber.

"It's what you deserve, Tess," Magnus growled. The moment he'd been freed, he'd rushed to Citalee, grabbing her in a gigantic hug. But Citalee didn't seem fazed at all. She didn't even seem concerned that her master was distressed.

"How dare you?" Tesla spat. Then a sneer distorted her features. "I think it's time I put you in your _place_!" She yelled the last word and threw her bound hands over her head.

In the next moment, the ties around her wrists had been cut by a human who'd escaped their notice, and Lexis was being levitated into the air. Tesla snarled viciously as she raised him into midair with magic. Magnus raised his hands to stop her, but she whipped out another hand and her severed bonds lashed around his wrists and he flew back into the wall.

Simon charged her, but he seemed to slam into an invisible wall a couple meters away from her.

Lexis squirmed in pain, letting out a high-pitched, anguished howl.

"Lexis!" Simon yelled. He leapt toward the werewolf but was met with another invisible wall.

"I know of your curse, Daylighter! But that will not stop me," Tesla growled over the ruckus Lexis was making. His body seemed to be bending in ways it was definitely not meant to. Tesla grinned maliciously. Lexis's back looked ready to snap when a deafening _WHOOSH_ sounded throughout the room.

Black hair whipping in his eyes, Alec fought to see what was going on. Tesla's power over Lexis had ceased and the werewolf now lay crumpled and unmoving on the floor with Simon crouching over him.

An inhuman, metallic voice shrieked on the wind as if it were the breath of an enormous giant. Fighting to stay on his feet, Alec saw that Tesla was now on her knees facing Katherine.

And Katherine was glowing.

Literally.

Her entire body radiated a strange, metallic light. Her brown hair twirled and whipped in the wind. Her mouth was open as if she were the one screaming. Her eyes burned with a furious blue light that Alec thought might bring the whole place down in flames.

Suddenly, another voice joined Katherine's. Alec looked to find Citalee looking the same. Somehow, she seemed to have woken from her trance and was helping her twin sister fight against this awful woman.

As Alec watched—too shocked to even think of doing anything—brilliant columns of light shot from Tesla's body in a blinding flash. Something was escaping her.

As quickly as it had begun, it ended. The lines of light coming from Tesla's body disappeared and she flopped forward onto her face.

Everything was calm. Alec's ears rang from the raging wind, but he stumbled over to Magnus, cut his bonds, and offered him a hand. The warlock took his hand and he pulled him to his feet. When Alec looked around, he saw Jace, Clary, Citalee, a freed Katherine, and Simon gathered around Lexis's body.

Logan, Bat, and Cody were rousing on the other side of the room, turning back to humans with their clothing magically appearing around them.

But where was Tesla?

Alec gasped.

Right where Tesla had been a moment before lay an unconscious, sleek cat with silver fur and a smooth tail.

"Why does is smell like burnt fur in here?" Logan grumbled, rubbing his back end where he plucked the dart from his skin. Then he caught sight of Lexis. His face paled, and he rushed forward.

Kneeling across from Simon, he cradled Lexis's head in his hands. Lexis's dark eyes opened slightly, and Logan crooned, "You okay, kiddo?"

Lexis exhaled in a sort of snort as if to say "_This is nothing_." Logan grinned. Alec glanced at Magnus.

"Can you heal him?"

He nodded, but he still looked grim. "I won't be able to fully heal him, though. Tesla's magic is powerful. He'll be bandaged up for a few months," he replied.

"Help him. Please." What surprised Alec was that it wasn't Logan who'd spoken. It was Simon. Simon's face was concentrated entirely on Lexis. He looked absolutely stricken. Alec wondered why he felt so passionately toward this werewolf.

Magnus pushed his way through the crowd ordering, "Alright, then. Out of here, all of you. Except my sisters. They stay with me." Magnus gazed warmly at Citalee and Katherine. "Would my dear little sisters like to help me?"

Citalee and Katherine smiled shyly but stepped closer. Everyone started for the door, though Alec lingered. "You okay to do this? I mean, you shouldn't strain yourself…" Alec trailed off, blushing ferociously.

Magnus grinned and placed a kiss on Alec's forehead. "I won't. I promise." Magnus paused to touch his thumb to Alec's bottom lip. "Because I want to save some strength for when we get home," he whispered with a wink.

Alec thought he'd explode with embarrassment. It was almost guaranteed that Simon and the werewolves had heard that. He turned sharply to walk away, but Magnus said, "Oh, and would you please take that _thing_ out of here?" Alec glanced back to see him glaring at the silver cat on the floor. Rolling his eyes, Alec picked the feline up and stomped to the door without looking back.

(SPACE)

Tired and extremely confused, Alec slumped down on the floor next to Jace. He and Clary were resting on the floor. Simon couldn't seem to sit still, however. He paced up and down the hallway.

The werewolves as well were far more energetic than Jace, Clary, and Alec. Cody stared through one of the door slots, trying to talk to the person inside. Jace had decided it was probably best to wait for Magnus before they released the people in those cells. They didn't know what Tesla had done to them. They could have outbursts like the one Citalee and Katherine had just had.

Logan and Bat stood in the far corner, talking quietly. Bat seemed to be trying to calm Logan down. Logan was nearly ripping out his dreadlocks in anxiety.

"How did they do that?" Clary asked, amazed. She was talking about Katherine and Citalee. Alec's mind was in such disarray right then that he looked to Jace. But Jace was looking at him expectantly. Neither boy knew the answer. So they sat in silence for a spell before Magnus popped his head around the door.

"You may come see him, if you like," he announced. Logan practically sprinted for the door. He was through even before Simon, though the vampire followed closely behind.

When the rest of them entered, Lexis still lay on the ground, but he was conscious and in human form. He looked pale and was coated in sweat, but his face lit up when he caught sight of Simon. Alec wondered absently why Lexis seemed so attached to Simon, but the thought evaporated the moment his eyes found Magnus.

The warlock was sitting with his legs crossed against the wall with his sisters. All three looked exhausted, yet their eyes glistened with happiness. Citalee was curled up close to Magnus, her head on his shoulder, while her other hand held Katherine's.

As Alec approached, Katherine jumped up and wrapped her frail arms around his neck. Clinging onto him like a baby koala, she muttered, "Thank you, Alec." He blinked and patted her back uncomfortably. She giggled and released him. When she dropped back down to the floor, Alec was dazzled for a moment by how absolutely beautiful she looked right then. A smile so wide it might've fractured her face, glee shining like sunlight on water in her eyes, and her hair straggled around her face. She was gorgeous, and so was Citalee.

Katherine went back to sit with her siblings. Magnus motioned for Alec to join them.

When Alec settled himself next to Magnus, the warlock wrapped his arm around Alec's shoulders. "Citalee, I want you to meet someone very special to me," he began. He introduced the two with such enthusiasm Alec thought he might pull them all into a giant group hug.

(SPACE)

Bent over Lexis's pale face, Simon wished he had the courage to make some sort of big gesture. Instead, he asked something really smart like, "You okay?"

"Of course he's not okay, you idiot Daylighter! He was practically turned into a Twizzler because of you." Logan snapped. Simon felt a little hurt at Logan's harsh words, but when he saw the werewolf's face, he understood. Logan was just immensely worried. He barely knew what he was saying; he was so flustered with grief.

Lexis raised a hand to Logan's arm. "Calm down. I'll be fine. You don't need to take this out on Simon," he rasped. His voice was hoarse like he hadn't spoken in a month.

When Logan's breathing was back under control, Lexis asked, "Can I talk with Simon alone for a minute?"

After a moment, Logan stood up and started moving everybody away like a policeman.

When everyone was a safe distance away, Lexis began, "Thank you. I saw that you tried to help me."

If vampires could blush, Simon was certain he would've. "Well, it didn't work. You still got hurt."

"That doesn't matter. You still tried." Lexis's dark eyes were filled with warmth. Again, Simon felt guilty for not being able to reciprocate Lexis's feelings.

In an effort to show Lexis that, he slid his fingers into Lexis's hand. It wasn't quite an intimate action, but it was definitely personal. Lexis's face hardly moved, but his eyes flashed with a feather of bright green.

Magnus clapped his hands loudly behind Simon. "All right, all right. I hate to break up the bro-mance, but wolf-boy here needs rest, and he can't get that if all of you are in here. I need to transfer him to my house. Since he shouldn't be moved much, I'm going to open a portal. Which means all of you out. Go back to your families or whatever. We're done here."

"What about the rest of the prisoners in the cells? And Maia?" Cody asked.

Waving a hand dismissively, Magnus answered, "I've got it taken care of. I'll find the girl. She'll be safe with me."

Simon glanced once more at Lexis, who gave him a weak smile, before standing to follow Jace and Clary out the door.

Bat put up a fight about leaving Maia, but in the end, Magnus won.

Simon, Clary, Jace, Logan, Cody, and Bat climbed the stairs until they reached the top floor. Stepping out into the night, Simon was pelted by rain. He regretted not having a jacket, but then again, he was a vampire. A little water wasn't going to hurt him.

"So I guess this is where we go our separate ways," Jace said over the rain. Simon looked around to see Jace offering a hand to Logan.

"We are indebted to you and your warlock friend for helping us to rescue Maia," Logan said. His old cool and collected self was back. He shook Jace's hand before turning and walking off into the downpour with Bat and Cody.

Then it was just Clary, Jace, and Simon.

Scratching his head, Simon said, "So…thanks, guys. For helping us, I mean."

Clary hugged him tightly. "Of course, we did, Simon. What else could we do?" Simon smiled bashfully. "So what are you going to do now?"

Heaving a sigh, he replied, "I guess I'll go home." _Liar,_ Simon thought to himself. _You've got no intention of going home. You just lied through your teeth to her._

But Clary smiled, her red hair plastered to her face with rain. Simon waved to them—mostly Clary—and strolled away into the pouring rain.

(SPACE)

"Are you sure you're going to be okay? You don't look so great," Alec clucked. He was staring at Magnus's face. His skin seemed stretched a bit tightly over his bones, and his eyes were slightly glazed.

"I told you I'm fine," Magnus sighed. He rolled over onto his other side, away from Alec. The bedroom's décor was now very plain: everything was gray, even Magnus's skin held a grayish tint.

Katherine and Citalee now shared Katherine's room. The twins were sound asleep; Magnus had seen to it. And Maia slept on the couch. When they'd found her, she was unconscious but unharmed. So they'd decided to let her sleep in the living room so she could recuperate and leave when she woke up, if she wanted to.

The rest of the prisoners from the research facility were now safely tucked away in a place Magnus had said would help them.

As for Tesla—or what was left of her anyway—she was now cuddled closely with Chairman Meow. It seemed the cat Tesla had no recollection of when she'd been a warlock. Magnus had explained that when Katherine and Citalee had done their crazy shrieking, glowing thing, they'd sucked every ounce of magic from her body. He'd surmised that during her experiments on the twins, Tesla had unwittingly given Katherine and Citalee the power to 'steal' magic. Anyway, she now retained her most basic form: a cat.

In fact, Tesla the cat was quite affectionate, but Magnus refused to show kindness to her, though he hadn't insisted they throw her out either.

The creak of the bed roused Alec from his thoughts. Magnus had rolled back to face Alec.

After a moment, Alec asked, "What?"

A grin flickered over the warlock's lips. "Thanks for worrying about me."

Alec raised an eyebrow. "You're welcome?"

Magnus slid a hand onto Alec's cheek. Moving closer to Alec, Magnus stared into those blue eyes. He placed a soft, warm kiss on Alec's forehead before pressing his own to it. Their noses met, and Alec couldn't help feeling a bit silly.

"Magnus?"

"Mm?"

"Did you know that they could do that? Katherine and Citalee, I mean."

Magnus's eyes opened to stare into Alec's. He sighed, "No, I didn't. I had my suspicions that they were different, but I didn't think they had this much power." Pushing up onto his elbow, his brow furrowed. "Why do you ask?"

Alec shrugged.

After a moment, Magnus smiled and placed a swift kiss on Alec's cheek then cuddled closer to the other boy's chest. Alec remained silent for a long time, staring at the wall past Magnus.

"So you're really okay?" Alec asked.

Magnus snapped up so that his face was inches from Alec's. His cat eyes were narrowed and his lips formed a truly irritated frown. "For the last time—" But the warlock never finished. Alec's expression stopped him.

The younger lad's expression was amused. He was chuckling quietly. He'd been teasing Magnus.

"Oh, you're going to pay for that," Magnus chided, "You know, I was going to let you slip tonight because of everything that's happened. But now, I feel like honoring my promise from earlier."

The smirk was wiped clean off Alec's face. He struggled to escape the bed sheets, but Magnus was too quick. The warlock trapped Alec beneath him, a triumphant grin lighting up his face. "My turn to tease you," he whispered into Alec's ear. The young Shadowhunter's face turned the color of beets, and he refused to meet Magnus's eyes. But that just made Magnus laugh.

Leaning down, Magnus pressed a soft kiss to Alec's uncooperative lips. Swiping his tongue lightly across Alec's mouth, Magnus felt satisfaction as a moan whined deep in Alec's throat.

The rest of that night, and well into the morning, Magnus upheld his promise.

_A lot._

(SPACE)

Brazen sunlight filtered through the navy blue curtains over the windows. Alec observed that Magnus had changed the bedroom's theme to the dark blue. He wondered if it was his way of kind of apologizing—for, let's just say, some unspeakable actions of his performed last night—since navy blue was Alec's favorite color.

Groaning at his sore muscles, Alec rose from the empty bed. He was reaching for some clean clothes to take to the bathroom when Magnus's yell of horror filled the apartment. Tripping into some jeans, Alec sprinted to where he'd heard him. He found Magnus slumped on the floor at the foot of Katherine and Citalee's bed.

A second later, Maia appeared in the doorway, her eyes bright and alert. "What's going one?" she gasped.

"They-They're gone!" Magnus choked.

"Who?"

"Kath-Katherine and Citalee! They just left!" Magnus thrust a little slip of paper at Alec. He caught it so he and Maia could read it. The message was short and looked as if it'd been written by a child.

It read, "Good-bye, Maggie and Alec. We love you dearly, but we know we will never fit in among you. We wish to make our own way in the world now. Do not worry, we'll visit, promise. Love, Citalee and Katherine."

Alec gaped. "Why would they leave? They can barely find food, let alone take care of themselves!"

Just then, the front door slammed and an angry voice shouted, _"Where the hell is that piece of shit, brother-stealing warlock!"_

Magnus blinked the tears from his eyes in confusion when he heard the "brother-stealing" portion of that sentence. Alec rushed out into the main room to find Logan about to storm down the hall.

"You! Where's your boyfriend! I want to know where the hell my brother is!" roared the werewolf when he spotted Alec. His eyes flashed green as he advanced on Alec. Though he'd faced worse, Alec couldn't keep the leaf of fear from unfurling in his gut.

"Calm down, Logan. What are you talking about?" said Alec, holding up his hands.

"This!" Logan flapped a scrap of paper in Alec's face. Taking it to read, Alec's brain complained at being bombarded with so much so soon after waking.

The note in his hand said, "I'm goin' with Kathy and her sis and Lexis. We're gonna live on our own for a while. Be back soon. Don't come lookin' for us. See ya, Logan! Cody."

Footfalls sounded behind Alec, and he had just enough time to block Logan before he tackled Magnus. "Cody _and_ Lexis—who hasn't even healed yet—are gone because of your stupid sisters. I want my brother and friend back _now_, you dumbass warlock," Logan growled, pointing menacingly at Magnus.

Alec pleaded silently with Magnus not to overreact to Logan's words, but the warlock seemed to be in shock. He didn't even appear to understand what Logan had said.

"Alright, alright, everybody, let's calm down. Maia, could you…?" Alec glanced meaningfully at Logan who was still struggling to escape his hold. Maia hurried forward to take control of Logan.

When Alec turned around, his heart fell at the sight of Magnus's eyes burning with anger and blue sparks flitting around him. "Your brother kidnapped my sisters? I'm going to _kill_ that retched dog!" Before he could say more, Alec grabbed him and turned him to the side.

"Focus on me, Magnus," he said, fighting for his attention, "I know you're angry. But didn't you read Katherine and Citalee's note? They're happy. And they'll be back soon. They've got Lexis and Cody to protect them," Magnus scoffed at that, "and not to mention, that crazy power those two have."

That seemed to pluck a string with Magnus. His eyes lost some of their raging fire, though he didn't look happy. Finally, he swiveled on his heel toward Logan and Maia.

Stiffly, he marched over and extended a hand to Logan.

The werewolf blinked in surprise at the offer.

"I apologize for my younger siblings' foolishness. But the only thing I want for them is happiness. If this is how they'll find it, then I don't want to get in the way, agreed?" said Magnus.

Logan seemed to have calmed down quite a bit. After a moment of hesitation, Logan cautiously accepted Magnus's hand. "I guess if Lexis is with them, they'll be okay. I just wish they'd talked with us about it first," he admitted.

"Believe me, I know how you feel."

Alec smiled and clapped Magnus on the back. "Now everybody's happy," he said. Though Maia smiled warmly at him, Alec's words earned him glares from Magnus and Logan. He held up his hands in apology. "Okay, never mind then." Everybody besides Alec burst out in laughter. He frowned. "What?" Everyone just laughed harder. Alec threw up his arms in defeat and stalked toward the door. Magnus chased after him, stifling his chuckles.

"Oh, come on, pouty face. You were just too cute. I couldn't help but laugh," he said. When Alec didn't respond, Magnus slithered his arms around Alec's abdomen. His voice barely loud enough for Alec to hear, he muttered, "Thank you, Alexander. If it weren't for you, I'd be hunting down my sisters right now, ready to kill that blond Child of the Moon. And I know that wouldn't have made Katherine or Citalee happy. Promise to stay with me, please."

Those last words made Alec feel hotter than the sun on the inside. He allowed a tiny twitch of his lips to escape and answered, "Only if you promise me."

Magnus grabbed Alec's hand and spun him around to face him. Pulling the younger man's body closer, Magnus leaned down to whisper, "This is my promise." Then he kissed Alec deeper than he ever had, sweeping Alec's mind away into an ocean of promises and love."

**That's it! :O OMG! It's done! But not if you vote for the sequel thingy! :D Haha! If you do, it'll involve less of Clary and Jace, more of Simon, Lexis, Katherine, Cody, and Citalee. Mainly it'll focus on Katherine. In the first chapter, she'll be returning to Magnus's house for a visit, but not under very good circumstances. If you wish you to hear more or want me to write the sequel then PLEASE! REVIEW! :)**


	17. Sequel Chapter 1

**So here is the beginning of the sequel thing! :D Yay! *Wild applause* Ha-ha, just kidding. ;) Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this!**

** Sequel Chapter 1**

Rapid, urgent pounding on the front door roused Magnus from his study of Shadowhunter anatomy. Rising from his comfortable, red lounge chair, Magnus tossed the heavy volume titled _The Lower Regions of the Body_ onto the table and stalked toward the door, irritation bubbling in his chest. He'd finally hunkered down and taken time out of his busy schedule to read up on this subject as a surprise for Alec, only to be interrupted by this rude person.

Tongue prepared to deliver a violent lashing, Magnus grabbed the door handle. But what he found on the other side stunned him into silence.

Panting in the doorway, leant up against the doorframe, was Magnus's adopted, younger sister, Katherine. At the sight of Magnus, Katherine's bright blue eyes lit up and she huffed, "Maggie!" The young girl flung herself on Magnus, bronze hair bouncing and tickling Magnus's chin. She'd grown since she'd left five months ago with Cody, Lexis, and Citalee.

"W-What—" stammered the cat-eyed warlock, unable to form a complete sentence.

"Magnus, we have something really important to talk with you about."

"Katherine, I—what are you wearing?"

Katherine blinked then looked down at herself. She released Magnus and gave him a slightly hurt look. "What's wrong with it?"

Observing her hippy-style of dress, Magnus raised his brow. A thin, yellow band wrapped around Katherine's bronze hair. Her strapless dress was brown with intricate golden and brown paisleys, and from her shoulder swung a rugged bag with a peace sign embroidered on it and shirt pins declaring, "SAVE THE EARTH" and "WARLOCKS ARE PEOPLE TOO" fastened to the strap. She wore simple brown flats and around her ankle was strung a rainbow-colored anklet.

Before he could reply, another voice said from the door, "Um, Kathy?" She and Magnus looked up to find a very tall Cody, hands in his sweatshirt pockets and hood pulled over his blond hair, hovering outside.

It seemed both of them had shot up in height after a very short period of time. But Magnus hardly took notice; he was too intent on strangling the werewolf behind his sister. He made a leap for Cody, but Katherine was evidently expecting that. She thrust a hand in his path, and a blue light pulsed from her palm, forcing Magnus to stumble backward a step.

"Maggie, don't. We have something important to talk with you about," she said, suddenly serious.

He crossed his arms, sent a contemptuous glare toward Cody, and asked, "Indeed you do. What the hell were you thinking? You ran off—"

"Look, that can wait," Katherine said. Her blue eyes held a somber light that Magnus had never seen there; it made him hold his tongue, even though there was so much to say. Katherine looked around, confused. "Where's Alec?"

"Grocery shopping."

"Oh." She seemed disappointed. "Well, that doesn't matter. Maggie, we came to ask for your help. It's about the Downworlders Tesla experimented on."

Magnus's heart seemed to stop in his chest at Katherine's words. "Wait, how did you find out where they are?"

"They've gotten really ill," Cody answered, ignoring Magnus's inquiry.

Magnus struggled with his instinct to strangle this werewolf who'd stolen away his sisters. When he spoke, he growled through his teeth, "What do you mean ill?"

"Well, Suzume has—"

"I'm sorry, who?"

"Suzume. She's a werewolf from Japan."

"How do you know her name is Suzume? I know they won't talk. You know, it's really rude to just go around naming people what you—"

"She told me."

"T-They talk to you?" Magnus's tone was taken aback, and his hand fluttered to his chest as if his heart were literally pained with grief.

"Oh, yeah! You should see it Maggie!" squealed Katherine as she hooked her arm through Cody's and snuggled up close to him. "I mean, they sort of talk to me, but Cody can carry on an actual conversation with most of them. He just has this way with them…" The teenage warlock trailed off dreamily, gazing up at Cody like he was a perfect angel.

Cody gave her an enchanting half smile—though Magnus didn't find as much enchanting as snide, conniving, and downright arrogant, but he gazed through biased lenses.

"Anyway, like I was saying, Suzume has developed a bad cough and Rick and Florence have begun finding rashes all over their bodies. Nothing we do helps them."

Closing his eyes to think, Magnus considered the situation. He knew he'd have to hurry to the facility where he'd sent the experiments for safe keeping as soon as possible, but he never liked rushing into these kinds of predicaments without first thinking it out.

"Okay, let me get a few things in order first then I'll open a portal and we can leave."

*O.o.O*

Within a few minutes, Magnus stood with Cody and Katherine in the hallway outside his apartment. Hastily, he opened a portal that led to the remote area of Vermont where he'd sent Tesla's experiments. Once the space rift was stable enough, he and his companions stepped through the wall of the hall and into a blast of frigid air.

Worriedly, Magnus glanced at Katherine who'd been so scantily dressed, but she seemed perfectly comfortable. She caught him staring at her quizzically and giggled, "Warmth spell." Magnus's brow rose. It seemed her magic wielding had improved dramatically, and Magnus wondered sadly what else had changed about her. Little Katherine was no longer his little Katherine. She'd grown into quite an able-bodied, young woman.

As Magnus looked her over once more, he realized she really _was_ a young woman. Her frail frame had filled out since the last time he'd seen her. The brown dress hugged her well-developed hips and chest. Feeling himself begin to tear up at the thought of Katherine no longer being his baby sister, Magnus tore his eyes away to looked around at their surroundings.

All around, light, powdery snow blanketed everything; though there wasn't much to blanket. Several leafless trees stood in the empty field, and the only other thing around was a large, rustic barn. When looked at from the outside, the building appeared weather-stained and broken, but Magnus had enchanted the inside when he'd brought the experiments here.

Cody began to trudge toward the barn, hunched against the screaming wind. Conjuring a warmth spell for himself, Magnus followed after him with Katherine close at his side. As they walked, Magnus tried to think of what to say, but there were so many things that he couldn't find the words.

Then, Katherine slipped her arm through his, pulling it close to her side. Magnus's tongue became even more tightly tied, so he simply laced his fingers through hers and placed a brief kiss on her bronze hair.

Finally, the group reached the small, wooden door in the side of the building. As Cody pushed the door open, Magnus caught a whiff of something musty and dank like death. Fear for the experiments flowered slowly like a black rose in his chest.


	18. Sequel Chapter 2

** My apologies for the delay! I've been swamped lately. Thanks to everybody who reviewed, and to those who just simply read it without taking a moment to reviewing, thank you as well. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)**

**Sequel Chapter 2**

Gazing around at the hunched figures of the experiments, Magnus's heart twisted into a knot, and he felt as if he might be sick.

A young Asian girl with short black hair lay upon a cot, her head lain in another boy's lap. The young man was obviously a warlock; from the wrist to the elbow, both his arms were covered in blue-green scales. His amber eyes glanced up as Magnus, Cody, and Katherine entered. He hardly paid Magnus any attention and waved Cody over. The two started conversing in hushed, urgent tones, but Katherine yanked Magnus in the opposite direction so he couldn't make out anything they were saying.

"Come on, Maggie! Citalee told me to bring you to her immediately after we got back," she urged, straining at his arm.

Temporarily distracted by the thought of seeing Citalee, Magnus allowed Katherine to tow him toward a group of several kids that looked around the same age as Katherine and Citalee; though, that wasn't a good judgment since Citalee and Katherine were actually about as old as Magnus. There were three huddled together as if they were chatting casually.

A young man with lion ears peeking out from the mop of blond hair atop his scalp had his arm around a girl whose strawberry blond curls fell down her shoulders in a cascade of shimmering copper. She would have been absolutely stunning had her eyes not seemed to have been missing something. Magnus wanted to run home and strangle Tesla the cat because he knew that his sister had done this to this poor, unfortunate girl.

The other member had his or her—Magnus couldn't quite tell—back to the approaching pair, but whoever it was, Magnus felt they needed a good lesson on fashion. Short, spiky, black hair stuck up as if the person had just woken up, and while his or her skin was paper-white, his or her clothing was all black and shaggy and gothic, just like his or her hair.

Searching for Citalee, Magnus got a severe shock when she turned around.

Citalee _was_ the Goth girl.

She stretched around to glare at Magnus with mascara-laden eyes, making Magnus have to fight to keep from cringing.

"Citalee?" he asked tentatively, praying that he was hallucinating.

"'Sup, Maggie?" she said, though it her voice sounded angry, as if she'd developed a permanent growl.

Magnus spluttered for several minutes before Cody appeared behind him and chuckled, "See? I told you he'd freak." Fury burned through Magnus's chest, nearly doubling him over in pain. He staggered around to wrap his fingers around the werewolf's scrawny neck, but then another voice muttered,

"Dammit."

The boy who Cody had gone to talk to earlier shoved his hand into his pocket to fish around for something; he came up with a five dollar bill and slapped it into Cody's out-held palm. Grinning smugly, Cody waved the money beneath the other boy's nose.

"Watch it, wolf boy. I wouldn't wave those fingers so close to my teeth. They might get…injured," snarled the boy.

Cody laughed, but he stuffed the five dollars into his jeans pocket. Cody introduced them, "Okay, so Tony, this is Maggie. Maggie, Tony."

Magnus's lip twitched in agitation at Cody's use of his nickname—the nickname only his _sisters_ used. This kid was truly pressing Magnus's patience.

But Magnus didn't have time to dwell on that because Tony extended a cordial hand to him, offering a pointy-toothed grin. "It's nice to finally meet you, Magnus. Kathy and Citalee have told us so much about you."

After a moment of hesitation, Magnus shook Tony's hand, which felt strange because of the scales, and Magnus couldn't help notice that Tony shook with his left hand while his other one was shoved deep into his pocket like he was hiding something.

Before Magnus could give it much thought, however, Katherine addressed Cody and Tony. "So any news?"

Cody's expression became troubled as he replied, "Yeah, there's news. But it's bad." He paused as if hoping Tony would take the initiative to deliver this bad news. When the scaly warlock didn't, Cody sighed, "Lexis has caught the disease as well."

Citalee's mascara-and-eyeliner-laden eyes widened and she shot to her feet and sped away into the maze of ill experiments. Katherine watched her sadly, but then Cody slipped his hand into hers, conjuring a soft smile on her lips. Making an effort to look past his protectiveness of his sisters, Magnus observed them as impartially as possible. He had to admit that Cody did seem to look at Katherine with that gooey look that Magnus knew he himself gazed at Alec with. But Magnus still couldn't forgive that flee-bitten wolf for stealing his sisters away from him.

"So I assume you've tried the basic healing spells," Magnus said, trying to break up the make-out session he feared would commence between the couple.

Katherine turned her bright blue gaze on him and replied, "Yes. Even the most powerful incantations I know failed."

The gears began to turn in Magnus's mind. "You said the disease shows up differently in warlocks and werewolves?"

"It's a painful rash for warlocks and violent coughs for werewolves," explained Cody.

"Do you know if it's deadly or not yet?"

"So far none of the victims have passed."

Running his fingers through his hair, Magnus exhaled, "Well, take me to whoever's the worst. I'll start with them and see what I can do."

"Suzume seems to have progressed farthest. She's too weak to eat or to drink; she can barely breathe anymore."

Magnus gestured for Cody to lead the way. Instead, Tony interjected, "I can take you to her." Magnus stared at him, surprised. "Well, she—"

"I know why you're offering to guide me, boy. I'm not stupid." Turning his narrowed eyes on Cody, Magnus growled, "I know a bro-hood when I see one. You're using scale boy as a wingman. Well, I refuse to allow you to be alone with my sister."

"Oh, Maggie! Don't be so mean! We're just like you and Alec," Katherine pleaded, her blue eyes wide.

"That's exactly _why_ I don't want to leave you alone!" he cried. Her expression became puzzled, and Cody's brown eyes grew to the size of saucers, his mouth hanging open. An arm grabbed Magnus's and ushered him away from the couple.

"Real smooth, man," scoffed a voice uncomfortably close to Magnus's ear.

Tony was propelling Magnus toward the Asian girl Magnus had seen earlier as he'd come through the door. Ripping his arm from Tony's grip, Magnus came to an abrupt halt, making Tony swing around.

However, when Magnus did this, he did it with a bit too much force, surprising Tony so much that he lost his footing. He began falling toward Magnus, who was too flustered to react quickly enough.

The two warlocks ended up locking lips for just a moment, but it was long enough.

After managing to separate, Magnus and Tony stared in bafflement at each other until a soft, dangerous voice hissed, "Well, I can see I'm not needed."


	19. Sequel Chapter 3

**So sorry for the wait, everyone! I've been busy. Life's b*tch sometimes, haha! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this! :)**

** Sequel Chapter 3**

"Alec!" Magnus gulped. After gaping at the infuriated expression on his lover's face, Magnus realized what Alec had just seen and how it must've looked to him. "Oh, n-n-n-no! No! Alec—"

But Alec's shadow disappeared from the doorway before Magnus could utter another word. Mentally berating himself, Magnus straightened and ran a hand through his hair.

"Who was that?" asked Tony.

"His boyfriend," answered a new voice, though one that Magnus knew quite well. Simon Lewis came striding over from the door.

Exhaling in an effort to calm his irritation, Magnus sighed, "Why are you here, Daylighter?"

"I have a name, _warlock_. See how it's not so pleasant to be called what you are and not who?" Simon countered.

Magnus's anger was beginning to boil—though he knew deep down it was misdirected; he was really angry with himself. But that didn't stop him from snapping at Simon. "Your presence here is pointless, boy! So take your agitating self away from me!"

Simon's expression was bewildered at Magnus's sudden outburst, but the warlock hardly cared. He was busy trying to massage the headache that had nested itself in his head within the last several seconds. When Simon opened his mouth as if to retaliate, Tony interceded, "Okay, so I take it there's been some sort of misunderstanding here."

Tempted to strangle the younger warlock, Magnus glared at him with wide, bright, dangerous eyes as he replied, "Obviously. And it's obviously you're fault."

Tony's amber eyes narrowed, but he restrained himself from retorting and instead said, "I suppose I had that coming. Sorry for dragging you away from that immensely awkward and possibly dangerous conversation with your sister and her boyfriend. I was simply thinking of the sick people around us who could really use your help and concentration at the moment." That set Magnus straight. He resented that this young warlock had been the one to say it, but it was true. Taking a deep breath, Magnus turned to Simon.

"Look, I apologize for my earlier outburst. I've been put under a great deal of stress within the last few minutes, and I'm reaching my snapping point. If you don't mind, would you please retrieve Alexander from wherever he's gone off to so that he doesn't freeze to death while I go and try to find out how to help these people?"

Simon gave a short nod and headed back toward the door. He was dressed in a thin T-shirt and jeans, but—being a vampire and all—he was quite unaffected by the chilly weather. Once the door closed behind Simon, Magnus looked at Tony who had already started walking back toward the Asian girl. As he approached, Magnus heard the other warlock muttering, "Suzume, this is Magnus, Kathy and Citalee's brother. He's going to try and help you, okay?"

Suzume drew in a ragged breath as her dark eyes flickered up toward Magnus's face. Drops of sweat trickled down her face and every inhale seemed like it caused her extreme pain. Dunking his hand into a bucket, Tony pulled out a damp sponge and squeezed the majority of the water out before dabbing the girl's skin with it. She tried to smile but broke out in a fit of coughs that spewed blood. Magnus's heart throbbed as she groaned when the fit passed. The poor thing couldn't have been older than thirteen. Kneeling beside Tony, Magnus began his work, checking for any signs of possible dark magic that might have been put to work. He became so engrossed in his work that he didn't notice when Alec reentered the building. Nor did he notice when the young Shadowhunter pulled up a foldable chair, straddled the back, and settled in to stare at Magnus. He just kept right on working, oblivious to the world around him, giving Alec an opportunity to observe the warlock without him noticing.

O.o.O

Now that he'd cooled off—literally and figuratively—Alec was content to watch as Magnus carefully examined the werewolf girl. Never had he seen Magnus work with such tenderness in his touch, like he was afraid of breaking her. Alec wondered why Magnus was acting so gently and decided that it was because Magnus felt responsible for all of these people. He'd taken them from Tesla's laboratory and given them a home. Perhaps he felt like a father to them.

"He's quite good, no?" muttered a silky voice close to Alec's ear. Startled, Alec shifted sharply to the right, causing his chair to tip on its side, sending him to the floor with a loud crash. When he found his bearings again, Alec saw Magnus towering over him, a stunned expression on his face, with another young warlock with scales running up his arms. "Sorry," apologized the scaly warlock. "I didn't mean to scare you." The young man offered a scaled hand to Alec, who took it, trying to hide his embarrassment by veiling his eyes behind his black hair.

"It's okay," he murmured, not meeting the boy's or Magnus's eyes.

"Alec, can I talk to you?" Magnus asked. Without giving the other warlock boy a glance, Alec followed Magnus into a corner away from the others. "I'm sorry about what happened earlier. That was an accident."

"I know. I overreacted. Don't worry about it," Alec replied, trying to escape as quickly as possible to go…somewhere, anywhere but there, in that corner with Magnus. But Magnus wasn't letting him go so easily.

As Alec turned away, Magnus clasped a hand on his shoulder, twisting him back around. "Well, it's in the past, now. But what I really wanted to talk about was why you brought Simon."

A bit surprised, Alec looked up at Magnus's face without thinking; when he met those cat-like eyes, however, Alec's gaze dropped to the floor. "Oh. I ran into him at the grocery store, and he saw me receive the fire message you sent. When he read you'd heard from Katherine, he insisted on coming so he could see Lexis."

Magnus grunted in response.

Just then, a loud shriek sounded from close by. Alec's eyes flickered to the commotion to find the scaly warlock boy pinned on the ground by a wolfish figure.

It took Alec a moment to recognize that wolfish figure, and when he did, shock pulsed through him.

Looming over the boy, fangs bared, was the Asian girl Magnus had been working on earlier.


	20. Sequel Chapter 4

** If you guys enjoy the chapter, REVIEW! ;) I'd love to know who your favorite character (of my creation or one of Mrs. Clare's) is or who you hate the most or who you think should pair up or anything, ha-ha! :) Also, since we haven't seen Jace and Clary for a while, I'd like you to review saying whether you'd prefer some Jace and Clary action. ;) Also, guys. You must know. It has been officially decided that **_**City of Bones**_** will be made into a movie. YES! FINALLY! :'D**

**Sequel Chapter 4**

Before Alec or anyone else could react, another animal shape came barreling into Suzume. Rushing toward the brawl, Alec readied his seraph blade in case it was needed, but it seemed that Suzume was already beginning to calm. In fact, she appeared to have passed out. The werewolf who'd restrained her now stumbled back from her body. Almost as if from thin air, Simon appeared at the wolf's side, and Alec realized who it must be.

Sure enough, as the Downworlder collapsed, his black fur began to recede to reveal olive skin.

Lexis lay naked in Simon's arms.

"Lexis!" Tony cried. He appeared unharmed so Alec didn't try to stop him when he rose to hurry to Lexis's side. Magnus conjured a heavy blanket to cover the unconscious werewolf. As he approached, Alec heard a horrible, pained hacking sound emanating from Lexis's body. Still knocked out, he wretched pitifully on the floor, spewing blood like Suzume had. Alec stopped beside Magnus to stare down at the poor creature. Simon's face was full of horror and pity.

"Can't we do anything to help him?" asked Simon. His dark eyes pleaded with Magnus and me.

"We can ease his pain some, but that's all," mumbled a soft voice. Katherine had joined them, Cody just behind her. "Unless Maggie has any suggestions," she added looking hopefully at Magnus. He shook his head sadly, and she smiled sympathetically; she could tell it bothered Magnus that he hadn't yet figured out how to help these Downworlders. "Then perhaps we should move Suzume and Lexis back to their beds so we can treat them." Without prompting, Simon lifted Lexis in his arms and began to carry him off. Tony blinked, surprised, and then moved to cradle Suzume in his arms.

Alarmed at the pallid hue which the girl's skin had taken on, Alec and Magnus followed Tony to her bed. He laid her down carefully, brushing her sweaty, black bangs from her forehead affectionately. Alec wondered what Tony felt for her.

"Could her outburst have been a symptom of the disease?" Alec asked.

Magnus considered it for a moment. "It's a possibility, but—"

Tony's interjected unsteadily, "It had to be. Suzume wouldn't have done that if she wasn't sick." Alec exchanged a glance with Magnus, but they kept their mouths shut.

"I'll see if I can do anymore for her. Alec, would you go check on Lexis?" Magnus had entered his concentration mindset, so Alec nodded and dutifully trotted toward the opposite end of the building. When he reached Lexis's bed, he found Simon kneeling at his bedside and Katherine holding her hands over the werewolf's chest

"What's wrong with him?" Simon asked, his voice cracking with desperation.

"I don't know, but Magnus will find out," Alec reassured. Squatting beside Simon, Alec grabbed the sponge from the bucket next to him and squeezed the excess fluid from it before dabbing Lexis's restless, damp face.

"He saw what was happening and Changed right away even though he's in so much pain. Now he's even worse than before."

Knowing what to say had never been Alec's strong point; thankfully, Katherine came to his rescue by explaining "I'm going to see if I can dull his pain any." When Alec and Simon started to leave, she said, "No, stay. In my experience, having company around helps when one is ill, even if one is unconscious." They stayed, Simon gripping Lexis's fingers tightly as if he were afraid the other boy might slip away.

O.o.O

Shifting uncomfortably on the floor—the cots were all occupied by ill Downworlders—Simon grappled with his mind to shut up. Being a vampire, he was naturally nocturnal, but he was determined to sleep through the nights. Turning on his side, his perfect night vision caught a glimpse of something glinting in the moonlight streaming through the single skylight. Raising his head slightly, he saw the light was generated by a shiny object within Lexis's grasp. Crawling as stealthily as possible toward the werewolf, Simon whispered, "You should be asleep."

"Can't. Mind's too busy. And the fever isn't helping," replied Lexis, his voice a low rasp.

Simon heaved a sigh. Finally settling into a cross-legged position at the side of Lexis's bed, he gestured to the golden necklace in the other boy's hand which had been the source of light and asked, "What is that?"

"It's the locket my parents gave to me. My adoptive parents, I mean."

"Can I see?"

Wordlessly, Lexis held out the locket by the chain, allowing the open clasp to dangle. It was a beautiful gold rectangle with tiny wolf and bat engravings bordering it. The insides were lined with a pair of pictures. One, on the right, was a lovely photo of who Simon assumed were his parents. The father looked quite normal, shaggy brown hair and friendly green eyes. But the mother was something rather spectacular. Her golden curls fell around her shoulders in a shower of sunlight, and the glow in her blue eyes warmed a place hidden deep in the heart. She radiated motherhood and love.

In their arms was clasped a bundle of blankets from which a miniature Lexis peered. The same dark hair and eyes and skin. Simon couldn't keep the smile from his lips. "They're great."

Then he moved his gaze to the picture on the left. It was obviously a more recent photograph. It depicted a laughing Lexis surrounded by a cheerful Katherine, a brooding Citalee, a silly Cody, and a charming Tony all standing at the edge of a gorgeous lake. He looked so carefree, Simon thought.

"Where was that taken?" he asked.

Bringing the locket back to his eyes, Lexis smiled fondly. "That's at a lake Tony took us to. We'd just come here, Katherine, Citalee, Cody, and I, to help with the experiments' recovery. As a welcome gift, Tony showed us to this place—it's not far from here—and we made a day of it."

"Sounds great."

"It was. I wish I could go there just once more. It really was beautiful."

"You'll get to go again once you get better."

Lexis moved his dark eyes to Simon. They were full of sadness. "Oh, Simon, you know that's not true. Suzume's losing her mind, and I'm not far behind. Even if I did get to go again, I don't think I'd be sound enough to appreciate it."

"Don't talk like that. If you give up before we've even had a chance to help—" Lexis broke into a loud fit of coughs that roused several surrounding heads. Despite Lexis's protests, Simon forced him back onto his cot once the fit had passed and laid down at his bedside to let sleep overcome him.

O.o.O

Waking from his horrid nightmare of a mutilated Citalee, Alec, and Katherine, Magnus's heart nearly froze when he realized that the shrieking in his dream hadn't faded with the images. Someone really was screaming his or her lungs out. Wildly, he looked for his sisters and Alec to make sure it wasn't them, but the voice definitely didn't belong to either. No, he saw that it belonged to the strawberry blond girl, Florence, from yesterday. Her face was twisted in horror as she pointed at something from where she'd slumped to the floor, her knees having probably failed her. Following the direction in which she gestured and stared, Magnus saw just what had brought on this episode.

Suzume's body lay stiff and still on the ground, strained in desperation as if she'd been fighting for breath: dead.

_**La la la la LAAAA! REVIEW! :D…**_**I don't really know where that came from…**


	21. Sequel Chapter 5

** Hello! First, I'd like to thank XxListlessAngelxX, TMIPinkGleeTwilight, and Ari Carnage for your fantastic reviews. :) They made me smile, as all reviews do! So, they were very much appreciated, and I really hope you all enjoy this little Clary and Jace bit (as requested by TMIPinkGleeTwilight). We haven't seen any of them in the sequel, so thought I'd give them the spotlight for a chapter. ;) Now dig in!**

** Sequel Chapter 5**

Jace blinked at the words on the page. Alec had just up and left with hardly a word to anybody. The only thing he'd left behind to indicate where he'd gone was a note explaining the situation with the experiments. Maryse had nearly popped a vein when Jace had shown her the letter; it'd taken a lot of coaxing from her husband to calm her down.

But Jace didn't feel much of anything. Alec was with Magnus; he'd be fine.

The real problem to worry about, was telling Clary that Simon had gone with him. He'd left a message on her phone to call him back as soon as she could since she hadn't answered. Now he waited.

Several hours passed, and he hardly moved. His back was beginning to ache from lying down for so long when a soft knock sounded at his door. "Come in," he sighed, expecting Isabelle or maybe Maryse. But instead, when he glanced lazily at the figure in the door, he caught sight of a splash of fiery red hair.

Clary.

"Hey," she mumbled, her emerald eyes cast to the ground.

"Hey," he replied dumbly.

"I didn't think you'd still be here."

"Then why'd you come?"

At that Clary turned a glare on him. "Because you said you needed to talk. I haven't seen you since that battle with Tesla."

"It's only been a week."

"So? You could've called." When he stayed silent, Clary huffed irately. "Fine. What did you want to tell me? And hurry up. I'm a busy person, you know. I haven't just been waiting around for you to—"

Jace flung himself from his bed and backed Clary up against the door. Their bodies pressed closely together, he whispered, "Clary…"

She almost physically melted against his body. Her lips opened slightly, invitingly, and he pressed his aggressively against hers. She moaned quietly; he growled deeply. The heat coursed between them, an almost unbearably searing. Clary slid her hands across his chest and reached her finger to twist them in the hem of his shirt. Slowly, she lifted it to reveal the hard muscles beneath. One hand tangled in her hair, Jace reached with the other to unbutton her jeans. His sanity had flown out the window the moment he'd laid eyes on her. She was right: he'd been avoiding her. But now all of his pent up desire to see and to touch her burst forth in a wave.

Jace slid his hands down her waist to her thighs and lifted her so she could wrap her legs around him. Their lips never separated as Clary looped her arms around Jace's neck and tangled one hand in his hair while the other explored the crevices of his back. "I missed you," Jace growled. He couldn't control himself; he backed up and fell onto the bed, Clary atop him. Her fingers seemed want to devour his skin. They probed his chest and arms and face as if they were food. Jace didn't miss out on the feast. His hands wandered aimlessly up and down her body, remembering the curves they'd met before.

"You should've called," Clary replied, somewhat preoccupied with kissing his neck. He whiffed her fruity shampoo before rolling her so that he straddled her. They were approaching very dangerous territory, but he ignored the tiny, nagging voice at the back of his mind.

Not really caring about the conversation, Jace concentrated on gently sliding the hem of Clary's yellow blouse up over her head. In the dimness, he could just barely see the slight reddening of her cheeks as he gazed down at her. She still couldn't get used to the feeling of his looking at her bare skin. Drinking in her beauty, he reached behind her to undo the latch of her bra, making her gasp like his hands were cold though they were hot and sweaty with anticipation.

Then someone knocked loudly at the door.

Both Jace and Clary froze, staring into one another's eyes. For a second, he considered simply ignoring the person on the other side, but then his rational mind kicked in. Whoever it was would probably persist in knocking, and if they didn't there was the chance he or she might hear him and Clary.

So, reluctantly, Jace shuffled from his place atop her, gathered up his shirt, and tossed Clary's to her as she buttoned her jeans. Making sure Clary was fully dressed, Jace answered the door. There Isabelle stood, a look of fiery fury blazing in her expression. Her long, dark hair lay around her shoulders, and her arms crossed her chest.

"So when were you planning on telling me that Alec _and_ Simon have gone off to Vermont?" she inquired angrily, tapping her pointy-toed boot.

Jace spluttered, still recovering from his latest escapade. "Um—"

"Simon's in Vermont? With Alec?" Clary asked incredulously.

Isabelle stalked past Jace, her heels clicking loudly. "You didn't even tell Clary?" she snapped at Jace.

"I would have—" It seemed Jace was going to get little more than a few words out in this conversation because Isabelle and Clary interrupted him at the same time—it almost seemed rehearsed, though they both said different things.

With both girls ranting at him, Jace had to hold up his hands in surrender to get them to quiet down for just a moment so that he could cut in. "Look, I was just about to tell you, Clary, alright? Izzy, I couldn't tell you because I didn't know you were home."

"Phone call!" shouted both girls. It seemed they were running on the same wavelength now. A dangerous combination. Jace simply stared at them, not firing on all gears at the moment. That moment was evidently all Isabelle needed to notice the rumpled state of Clary's and Jace's hair and the messy sheets which were ordinarily kept very neat. Jace could practically hear the click in Izzy's head as she put two and two together.

Her dark eyes widened for just a second then they narrowed as she turned a poisonous glare on Jace. "Oh. So you've got time to make out with your girlfriend but not to tell us about Simon." Clary's face reddened into a tomato, and Jace placed his face in his hands.

Women.


	22. Sequel Chapter 6

** Okay! So here it is. First, I want to say thank you so much for the reviews. I really like it when people compliment my writing (you have no idea!). So thank you, and especially thank you to Ari Carnage. I loved all the reviews, but yours made me squeak because I got all excited. :) Okay, enough of that, moving on, heads up, the story **_**will**_** be coming to an end soon. There will probably be around three or four more chapters then it's over. But watch out for some short one-shots that I'll hopefully be uploading soon after this story is over! :)**

** Chapter 6**

Longing for the comfort of Alec's hand, Magnus reached his hand down from his coat pocket and buried it in Alec's. The other boy blinked in response but didn't take his eyes off of the coffin in front of them. Magnus had conjured the best coffin he could find for Suzume; its white surface and gold trimming glimmered with the reflection of the sunlight, and Magnus hoped it was warm wherever Suzume was now, for it was below freezing in Vermont. Snow continued to fall steadily as they laid the poor girl to rest. Nobody said anything aloud. It hurt too much. But Tony stood up and placed his left hand gently atop the casket before he let it sink slowly downward. When Magnus tried burying her with magic, Tony gave him a grateful, sad look and said, "Thank you. But I should really do this myself." With a nod, Magnus took one last glance at the beautiful scene before him: a frozen lake with leafless trees laden with snow surrounding it, and started back toward the shelter, Alec in tow. Everyone else, Simon, Katherine, Cody, Citalee, and the other experiments that were well enough to attend followed close behind. In just a few minutes, the group happened upon Lexis, bundled in several layers and eyes glassy with fever.

"What are you doing out here? You should be resting, idiot!" Simon scolded, tugging Lexis back in the direction he'd come.

But the werewolf seemed determined. He gazed at Simon steadily and replied, "I will in a moment. But I need to do this." Then he kissed Simon on the cheek, stunning him enough to loosen his grip, and trudged off in the direction of Suzume's burial site. Simon stared after him, an odd expression on his features. Clapping the boy on the back, Magnus joked,

"The boy's moved on from you, it seems."

Blinking in confusion, Simon let Magnus lead him back toward the shelter, though his face remained perplexed.

O.o.O

Nibbling nervously at the ham and cheese sandwich he'd been given for lunch, Alec stared at his cellphone. He didn't get service so far from civilization, so he wondered what was going on back at the Institute. Were they worried? Mad? Did they care at all that he'd gone? Alec mentally slapped himself for even thinking it, of course they cared. They probably all missed him, just as he did them. Jace, Isabelle, Mom, Dad…Clary even probably missed him. With a sigh, he closed the phone and slid it back into his pocket.

"Homesick, are we?" chuckled a voice from close behind. Alec twisted around on the cot to discover that Tony had returned, his nose and cheeks burning bright red from the cold.

"A bit," Alec answered defensively. Tony settled beside him.

"I remember what it was like. Having a family, people who love you unconditionally, a place to return to where you are always accepted."

"Did Tesla take you away from your family?"

A bitter, ugly sneer turned Tony's smooth features grotesque. "Not exactly." He paused for so long Alec thought he wouldn't continue, but then, "I agreed to go with her. We were…almost like partners. Until she turned insane, I mean."

"She wasn't always insane?" Alec asked sarcastically.

Tony laughed. "No. Actually, she used to be a really great person. That was the person I fell in love with." Alec's brow rose, but he stayed silent. "She had me smitten, so I went along with her until she began performing cruel experiments on her own kind. When I tried to stop her, she did this." Tony lifted his right hand which was twisted and gnarled and useless.

"What did she do?"

"Same thing she did to all of us: she experimented on me. I don't know what she was trying to accomplish, but something went wrong during the process, and now I'm left with this—this _thing_." He spat the last word like he was trying to rid his mouth of venom.

Not knowing what to say, Alec sat quietly. Then finally, he thought of something. "You've got it again, though."

"What's that?"

"A home. You've got a new family who all love you unconditionally. People who accept you and even look up to you."

Tony gave Alec a grateful half smile. "You're right. The only thing more I could wish for is someone to spend my life with."

Alec felt a bit startled. Something in Tony's voice sounded…suggestive. But of what?

"W-Well, Lexis seems to really care about you. Though I don't know if you swing that way."

Surprisingly, Tony seemed taken aback. "Lexis?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, he went out there to keep you company while you buried Suzume. He obviously cares about you."

"But-But doesn't he like that vampire friend of yours?"

"He moved on," explained a tired voice. Simon, looking disheveled, had appeared behind them.

"How can you be sure?" Tony asked, genuinely curious.

"I told him to before. Now I can tell that he has. He's not completely over me, but I can see you're starting to win him over." Simon paused for a moment, seeming to consider something. "But there's one thing, warlock. If you ever hurt him, just remember that I'm going to be alive and strong for a _very_ long time." With that, Simon stuffed his hands in his pockets and shuffled off to get lost in the mass of Downworlders.

"It seems that boy cares for Lexis as well. Why are they not together?"

Alec couldn't help but laugh. The idea of Simon with another man—ridiculously hilarious. "Simon may feel protective of Lexis, but that's probably only because of the fact that he can't return Lexis's feelings. So he compensates by protecting him."

"I see…" Tony's eyes seemed to glaze over with thought, so Alec rose from the cot to dispose of his leftover lunch scraps and to see if Magnus needed any help.

O.o.O

"Hey, cutie." Cody's whisper tickled Katherine's ear, and she giggled, covering her ear bashfully. He plopped down next to her on the floor, a crooked grin on his face and a twinkle in his brown eyes. "I brought you some lunch." He extended his arm to hand her a small bowl of steaming tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.

"My favorite. Thank you, Cody," Katherine breathed. She'd been far too busy to conjure up her most favored dish, so she was unexpectedly grateful.

"I asked Magnus to magic some here since I know it's been a while since you've had any." Cody's cheeks were the only clue as to his shyness; they turned nearly as red as her soup. She took the food and tore a bit of the sandwich off to dip in the soup. It tasted like an angel's song felt on the eardrums. Katherine sighed contentedly and leaned back against the wall, eyes closed.

After her bliss passed, she opened her eyes to find Cody watching her from underneath those blond tresses. She reached out and gently moved his bangs so she could his eyes well. Then a thought struck her. "You called him Magnus. Why do you only do that when you're not talking to him?"

A smirk twitched on his lips and he chuckled, "Because I know it annoys him when I call him Maggie."

"You want to annoy him?"

"I don't know. I guess since he doesn't think I'm good enough for you, I like to piss him off."

Katherine exhaled. "You really shouldn't do that. If you were nicer to him, he might warm up to you."

"That's a big might."

Katherine shook her head good-naturedly at the boy. She loved him so, but he was stubborn. She gazed quietly into his brown eyes, trimmed with delicate gold lashes, and he slid his hand over hers. He was wearing his favorite jacket, a plain brown one on which he'd had himself and all of his friends: Logan, Lexis, and Bat place their paw print in black ink. It was a record of their friendship. She adored that jacket. Many a night she'd curled up to sleep with it around her, smelling his sweet, dark scent.

As if a cloud had rolled over to cast its shadow down upon them, the lights suddenly dimmed, and the pair looked up to find a towering figure hovering over them. Cody's mouth dropped, and his eyes widened, and he gasped, "W-What are you doing here?"


	23. Sequel Chapter 7

** Everybody, I am really, really, really, really, REALLY sorry that it took me so long to update! D: I'm not going to make excuses, but I felt that my work's quality was wavering so I decided to take a break. Now I'm back, though! Again, I apologize for the wait. Hope you can forgive me. :)**

** Sequel Chapter 7**

The glint in Logan's dark eyes was enough to toss even the bravest soul into a fit of hysteria. He was practically homicidal. "What am I doing here, you ask?" Logan's baritone voice rumbled. Cody couldn't move, and even if he had tried to, Logan would've been right in his way. Cody knew how rage affected Logan's reaction time. "Well, it could possibly have something to do with the fact that my little brother lost his mind, ran off without any kind of plan or money, got himself exposed to a fatal disease, and refused to contact me! I'm going to _wring your neck_, punk."

Cody's rebellious side fired up. "Maybe I ran away because I wanted to be with the girl I love, and because I wanted to get out of the overbearing shadow of my brother!"

Logan cupped a hand around his ear. "Oh, I'm sorry. What was that? It's hard to tell what you're saying with all that bullshit flying from your mouth."

Blood reddened Cody's cheeks until he looked like a tomato. He screamed, "Why don't you ever listen to me?"

"Because you're a kid! You're my responsibility, Cody. You don't understand what that means because you're _too young_."

"NO! I am not too young for anything! Dammit! That's your excuse for everything I do! Why don't you try seeing that I've grown up enough to make my own decisions?"

"And you think this decision proves that?"

"Yes! I came here to do what I believe in, Logan. I've wanted to help these people ever since we saw them in that lab. Coming here is the best choice I ever made." Cody's fury ebbed slowly, the fight leaving his body as he realized how tired he was of this fighting. "I'm happy here. I don't care if I die from the disease, as long as I contribute to helping them."

O.o.O

Tony rested on the bench with his hands behind his head, his eyes closed, and his legs crossed at the ankles. The thrumming of his favorite Green Day song had finally managed to block out his never-resting thoughts. Now he lay tranquil and relaxed. No emotions or thoughts broke into his conscious mind; the music was all that flowed through his mind. He wished it could last forever, but then of course, his coma was interrupted by the sense of a presence at his side. Opening his honey-colored eyes, Tony found Magnus standing over him.

Magnus's expression was undeniably somber as he said, "Lexis is asking for you. I think you may want to go to him." By Magnus's tone, Tony knew Lexis was slipping.

Giving the other warlock a curt nod, Tony rose and walked slowly toward the cot where Lexis rested. He looked even worse than he had before. "Hey," said Tony.

"Hi. How's it going?" Lexis replied, his voice scratchy and hoarse.

"Oh…just watching people I love die around me. You know the usual." Tony gave a half-hearted smile. His attempt at a joke sounded sad even to his own ears.

"It's not like you to act so defeated." Lexis gave him a grim look.

"Yeah, well. It's not like you or Suzume to die, either." Lexis blinked at the hardness is Tony's tone.

"Tony," Lexis slid his fingers into the other boy's hand. A tear trickled down from Tony's lashes. "Don't do that. Magnus will figure this out. Everything is going to be okay."

"I should be telling you that!" Tony folded his arms, fidgeting with frustration. "I just—"

"Hey, hey." Lexis whispered. "Come here." He tugged at Tony's shirt, pulling him down onto his knees. "Look at me." Golden eyes met Lexis's dark. "You need to calm down. Stressing yourself out about this is not going to do any of us any good."

"I just feel so helpless, Lexis."

"You want to help? Then you need to be positive and assist Magnus in any way he can." Lexis quirked a smile and ruffled Tony's brown hair. "You need to stop being such an _imbécil_."

Tony exhaled and shook his head fondly. "Sometimes your accent fades enough that I forget you're French. Then you whip out one of those fancy-schmancy French words whenever I need a laugh." A grin flickered across Lexis's lips. Tony laid his hand on Lexis's and gazed into his eyes. "Thank you, Lexis. You've always been so good to me, and I never realized just _how_ good." That surprised Lexis. His brows rose. When he tried to reply, Tony put a finger to his lips, silencing him. "Let me finish. I need you to know how grateful I am to you. I-I didn't realize how important you really are to me until someone pointed it out to me." He paused, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. "So…this is my thanks." Tony reached his hands up to cup Lexis's face. Then he leaned in close and whispered, "And it's also my message to you about how I much I care for you." He kissed him. It was just a soft press of lips at first, then Tony gained some confidence; he flicked his tongue over Lexis's lips and bit the lower one. The kiss seemed to pour strength into Lexis. He lifted his hand, twisting his fingers in Tony's short hair. The warlock pulled away, stroking a thumb down Lexis's cheek. His glassy dark eyes had become clearer as he stared at Tony with surprise and care.

"I-I didn't—I didn't know you felt this way for me."

Tony chuckled. "I didn't either." He couldn't keep the grin off his face as he brushed Lexis's black bangs out of his eyes. "But now I know, and I'm never going to leave you. We're going to cure you. Everything is going to be okay."


	24. Sequel Chapter 8

** So, next chapter! :D All of the chapters will be up soon because I have them all written, I've just got to go and edit. After that, this series will be over! D: *GASP* D'X Ha-ha, anyway, I hope you all enjoy!**

**Sequel Chapter 8**

Alec watched Magnus as he sat, hovering his hands over Florence's fidgeting form. The poor warlock girl was nearly entirely covered in the painful rash. Tesla must have rooted around with the girl's mental status because Florence was acting like a child with mild autism. The boy with the lion's ears, Rick, was the only thing keeping her calm enough for Magnus to work on her. "Alec," Magnus said, not opening his eyes, "would you fetch my bag. I think I've got an idea." Magnus had gone back to their apartment last night to get several spell books he thought might shed some light on the situation. "Thank you," he said as Alec handed him the bag. Magnus dumped the contents onto the floor then stood up, a thick volume in hand.

"Magnus?" Alec said, but the warlock wandered away, lost in thought as he stared at the text.

"Is that a good thing?" Rick asked; his voice was thin from worry.

"I have no idea." Rick's expression turned crestfallen. Alec hurried to mend his insensitivity. "But I'm sure it'll turn out to be." Rick smiled, and his fluffy ears laid flat as he looked back at Florence. Alec ran a hand over his face and went to find someone else to talk to; he couldn't bear to be alone right then.

O.o.O

"Here," said a rough voice. Simon looked up to find Citalee holding a medium-sized bottle out to him.

"What?" he asked, puzzled.

"You're hungry, right?"

He blinked. It was true, but he hadn't realized anyone had noticed. He mumbled his thanks as he took the bottle. It was warm, making him wonder whether it was fresh or if she'd warmed it for him. Most people didn't know that blood tasted far better warm.

"So I guess you saw them, huh?"

Again, Simon blinked. "You mean Lexis and Tony?"

She nodded.

"Yeah. I saw them. Why?"

"I don't know. I just…wondered how you were feeling. I mean, you seem kind of depressed all by your lonesome here in this corner."

Simon chuckled, taking a sip from the bottle. He could feel that hollow, cold pain beginning to ebb away. "Well, it's not like I've got a lot of friends here. I don't want to bother Lexis, and everyone else is busy caring for the sick. I just feel kind of useless."

Citalee rolled her heavily mascaraed eyes. "Do I look busy? People just look busy when they're concerned. You could help take care of the others if you feel so pointless."

"Well—"

"Come on!" She hopped to her feet and tugged him to his, nearly spilling the bottle. Citalee took him around to several of the patients. Together, they changed each person's head cloth to fight their fevers and gave every one of them a cool drink of water. Pretty soon, Simon was so concentrated on his task that it took him a long time to notice the commotion going on at the door. Citalee and Simon wandered closer, curious. Magnus was in the middle of a large group of Downworlders—the ones who were still healthy enough to stand. Simon caught glances of a gigantic scorpion tail protruding from someone's behind, an unnaturally long tongue dipping down far enough to touch the floor, and even some violet skin. Magnus was concentrated on a book that was in surprisingly good condition. Usually, the texts Magnus used were in horrible shape.

"Back off, everyone," Magnus was shouting. "I know you want to know what I've found, but please, I need room to think."

Tony appeared by the other warlock's side. "Come on, guys. We'll tell you once we have some solid information." Simon, contrary to Magnus's request, surged forward, fighting through the retreating throng.

"When I said everyone, I meant _everyone_, Sheldon," Magnus growled without looking up from the volume in his hand.

"You always call me different names when I'm annoying you. Why is that?" Simon asked exasperatedly.

Citalee jumped in before Magnus could offer up a stinging reply. "Maggie, lighten up. Can't you even tell your wonderful baby sister what you found?" That pulled Magnus's gaze up. He looked at his adoptive sibling for a moment before finally heaving a huge sigh and admitting defeat.

"Alright. Don't go spreading rumors because nothing is for sure yet, but I made a trip back to Tesla's laboratory and found this," he held up the text. The pages were covered in neat, tight handwriting: Tesla's. "I haven't found much that could help yet, but she's practically filled this whole book with notes, charts, etcetera. So there could be something about how to treat this disease. I have no doubt that her experiments are the cause of it. I just can't pinpoint any useful details about it."

"How long will it take you to go through the whole thing?" Tony inquired.

"I'm just going to skim through for anything related to rashes, coughs, or diseases. It shouldn't take more than a day or so." Tony sighed, obviously not content with the time it was going to take, but what other choice did they have? After a moment, he nodded at Magnus and wandered off, probably to be with Lexis. Magnus turned to his sister. "Citalee, where is Katherine? I haven't seen her all day."

"Uh, last I saw, she was taking Jonathan outside for some fresh air."

"What? He's sick. He shouldn't be out in the cold!"

"That's why she put one of her warmth spells on him. She's good with those kinds of incantations."

"I see. How long have they been gone? And Cody didn't go with her?" Simon could hear the surprise in Magnus's tone. Cody and Katherine were inseparable.

"About ten minutes. And Cody is trying to smooth things over with his brother." Citalee jabbed over her shoulder with her thumb. Cody was sitting on a bench in the corner, his head in his hands while Logan paced in front of him and waved his arms around, obviously frustrated. When Simon looked back at Magnus, there was the tiniest hint of glee in the warlock's eyes. _Sadistic brother._

Once Magnus had walked away to read through Tesla's notes, Simon and Citalee went around again, aiding the sick in any way they could. After about an hour, they decided to take a break. The wind slapped Simon in the face the moment he stepped outside. Citalee—unable to warm herself with enchantments like her sister—was bundled beneath several layers of dark clothing. "So if you don't like Lexis, does that mean you're straight?"

The question caught Simon off-guard. He stared, wide-eyed at Citalee. "What?"

"Are you straight? Come on, it's an easy yes or no question." Citalee smirked at him, her bright, blue eyes twinkling with laughter.

"Um, yeah. I'm straight. Why?"

She shrugged. "Just curious. I'd pegged you for a gay, but I guess I was wrong."

Simon exhaled a short laugh. "Well, thanks for telling me."

Citalee giggled, her head rolling back. "Don't be so sensitive, kid."

"_Kid?"_

"Hey, I'm a few _centuries_ older than you."

Simon could practically feel the nonexistent blush. "Oh. Yeah. I forgot. Hah… You just don't look your age."

"You won't either in another decade." At the sad look on Simon's face Citalee's smile changed to a remorseful frown. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"

"Help!" The voice sounded far away, and if Simon hadn't had vampire hearing, he would've missed it over the roaring gale. Without even making a conscious decision to move, he zipped past Citalee, searching the landscape for the voice's owner.

Finally, he spotted a distant, oddly shaped figure; as he closed in Simon realized the person was carrying someone else on their back. The pair suddenly collapsed into the snow. When Simon reached them, he staggered, taken aback. It was a frail-looking, black-haired boy with an unconscious Katherine laid atop him.


	25. Sequel Chapter 9

**Yay! We have arrived at the epic ending! (Okay, I can't really judge if it's truly epic or not because…well…I wrote it, ha-ha!) Anyway, it's sad, yes. However, endings are good. They just mean that we can move on to new and, possibly, better things! :) I hope you enjoy. And remember, reviews are our friends. ;)**

**Sequel Chapter 9**

Katherine's brown tresses were soaked; her skin was pale, making the irritated rash stand out like a light beam in the dark. The infection covered her neck and nearly all of her delicate face. Silently, Simon lifted the two onto his shoulders. Citalee was trudging through the snow toward him, but when she spotted her sister, she gasped and hurried forward. Citalee choked, "What happened?"

"I don't know, but we need to get them back inside."

"Then hurry up!" He didn't need to be told twice. Utilizing his vampire speed, he was inside within twenty seconds. When he was inside, he yelled for Magnus. The warlock did a double take when he looked up. Simon laid Katherine and the boy on the floor, careful not to jostle them.

Cody and Magus reached him at the same time, both of them pushing to crowd around Katherine. "What the hell happened?" Magnus snapped at Simon.

"I don't know. We were taking a break, I heard the guy call for help, he collapsed, and I brought them here."

"Ugh! I wish someone around here could actually offer some useful—would you back off?" Magnus shouted the last part at Cody who was crouched worriedly over his girlfriend.

"No! I'm concerned about her, too, Magnus!" Cody barked back. Magnus sneered, looking nearly murderous.

Thankfully, Citalee entered then, panting. "Maggie! Katherine. Is-Is she okay?"

"Citalee, I—" Magnus growled to himself, obviously trying to contain his temper. "Okay, look everybody. I need to work on these two, so, if you'll excuse me." He pulled the boy—presumably Jonathan—and Katherine over his shoulders almost as effortlessly as Simon had then he walked back to where he'd been studying Tesla's book. After settling them on cots, he set to work.

"What's going on?" It was Logan.

He'd appeared behind his younger brother who turned now, fury plain on his face. "My girlfriend is dying, that's what!" he yelled. Then, while Logan was stunned into silence, Cody stalked away, still fuming.

O.o.O

Citalee swept her hand through her hair for umpteenth time. "Keep pacing like that and I might explode, Citalee," Magnus snarled. She stopped suddenly and glared at him.

"Sorry, Maggie. It's just…can't you work any faster?"

"No, Citalee, I can't! Now would you please go away so I may work in peace?"

"I will not, Maggie! My sister is _dying_! I am _not_ going to leave her alone again!" Everyone's eyes turned to stare at Citalee as she dropped down beside her sister's bed. Magnus, after getting over the initial shock, sighed and went back to his book.

Stroking her sister's hair, Citalee cooed quietly. Katherine was the most important thing to her, and she wasn't going to let even death separate them. The sudden touch of a hand to her shoulder drew Citalee's eyes upward. It was Lexis, a blanket around his arms. Silently, he settled beside her, pulling her head to rest on his chest. Citalee had nursed a rather odd relationship with Lexis. They talked very little, but when she needed someone to comfort her, he was the only one she wanted. Just his presence cleared her mind and let her think straight.

O.o.O

Alec struggled to lay Magnus on his side on the narrow cot. _The idiot,_ he thought. _He shouldn't have overworked himself like that._ Magnus had not set those notes down, not to eat or sleep and he took it to the bathroom with him. _Great reading material for the bathroom._ Alec rolled his eyes as he gazed fondly down at his boyfriend. Gently sweeping a wisp of black hair from the warlock's face, Alec sighed and yanked his own cot closer so that the beds touched. Eyelids drooping, Alec settled in to sleep, slithering an arm under Magnus's to wrap it around his waist. Grateful for the chance to finally sleep with his boyfriend after sleeping apart for so long due to their circumstances, Alec quickly drifted off into a deep sleep.

O.o.O

Carefully unwrapping Lexis's arm from around her shoulders, Citalee looked around at the sleeping shadows surrounding her. It took her a moment for find her adoptive brother, but she moved swiftly and silently through the slumbering figures by using a silencing spell on herself. Smiling when she saw Alec curled around Magnus, Citalee crouched to lift Tesla's notebook from beneath Magnus's cot. Then she quickly made her way back to Katherine and Lexis. Using a light incantation, Citalee opened the book. She'd landed on a page about werewolves' blood and its properties. Grimacing as she flipped through pages and pages of disgustingly cruel scientific facts, Citalee began to doubt she'd find anything helpful. But then she turned to a blank page between two with lots of scribbling on them. Both sides of the page were empty of ink, making Citalee frown. Had Tesla missed a page? But that wouldn't make sense. She'd written on pages adjacent to the blank one. She'd have had to have written on at least one side of it.

Suddenly, pain pricked Citalee's finger: a paper cut. Glaring at the book as if her cut was its fault, Citalee began to close the book, but she noticed she'd dripped blood on the white page. She wiped it away, smearing the red substance. Citalee thought her eyes were playing tricks on her for a moment, but then she realized that the blood was beginning to fade like…the book was drinking it…

Writing began to appear on the page, and as it appeared, it began to glow a bright blue. Citalee gasped as some force took hold of her mind. It was a strange sensation, but not painful. It was more like a warm blanket had cloaked her mind. Somewhere in the distance, she heard Lexis's panic-stricken voice call her name, but there was no need to worry. She understood now.

O.o.O

Horrified voices pulled Simon out of his dream. Confused from his sudden waking, he looked around for the reason for his early alarm. It didn't take him long. Simon sobered quickly when he recognized Citalee; she was floating ten feet off the ground and shining with a pale, blue light. Last time he checked, even Magnus couldn't fly. Scrambling out of his sheets, Simon hurried past the sickbeds to where Lexis, Cody, Logan, Tony, Magnus, and Alec were clustered around Citalee. Magnus was snarling at Lexis, asking what had happened.

"I just woke up to find her floating upward with Tesla's book in her hands. I'm not sure, but I think I saw some writing on one of the pages glowing with that same blue light," Lexis explained.

"_And you didn't try to pull her down?"_ Magnus shouted. His slit pupils were so thin that Simon could barely see them.

"Magnus, I'm sure he tried everything he could, but Lexis is sick. You can't blame him for this," Logan rumbled. He alone seemed to have yet to lose his cool. Though Magnus didn't seem to want to listen to logic. He was obviously nearing hysteria, but a clear voice rang through the room.

"She's okay." Everyone turned to find Katherine standing, gazing calmly at her sister. The blue light reflected in her eyes turning them the same shade. Then she looked at Magnus. "Don't worry, Magnus. Citalee knows what she is doing."

Magnus stammered, looking between his two sisters, clearly at a loss for words. So Alec spoke for him. "What exactly is she doing, Katherine?"

"Curing everyone," the girl answered simply, though her expression didn't match her words. A sad shadow had cast itself over her features, and she looked at the floor.

"What's wrong, Kathy?" Cody rasped, his voice rough from sleep.

For a moment, Katherine looked like she didn't want to reply. But then, "She has to go to save us."

Magnus had regained his voice, and it was now saturated with dread. "Go? Go where?"

Taking a deep breath, Katherine met her brother's gaze steadily. "Citalee and I, we understand now. Tesla infected us all with this disease, but she kept it from affecting us with treatments. On that page Citalee turned to, Tesla left an incantation: the cure. But the curing spell can only be activated by warlock blood. Then it needs something to act as a passage way. It must have a catalyst. She has to go, Maggie. It's the only way. But she'll be okay."

Slowly, Magnus began shaking his head, fear shining in his eyes. "No. No!" He whirled back to Citalee, but a sudden flash blinded all of them. When Simon could see again, he made out Citalee's form—still floating, just floating lower—clasping Magnus's hand in her own.

Her voice sounded all around them, like the donging of a bell. "Maggie. I love you. Thank you for everything you've done for me." She let go of him and looked around to everyone. "All of you. You've done so much for us. Thank you. Now it's time I return the favor." Citalee closed her eyes and drifted higher and higher. When she stopped, she began to spin, slowly at first, then faster and faster, her hair and arms flying out at her sides. The light emanating from her became brighter and brighter until Simon couldn't look at her anymore. Gradually, warmth began to form inside his chest, like a blanket being laid over him. When he opened his eyes, it looked like fireworks had been shot. Beautiful, blue sparkles wafted through the air, twinkling delicately.

Slowly, the sick Downworlders began to rise, coughs and rashes vanished. Citalee had cured them. Magnus had fallen to his knees, and Lexis had tears streaming down his cheeks. Simon started to go to comfort him, but Tony beat him to it, squeezing Lexis's hand in his own. Cody stepped toward Katherine, but she rushed forward, ignoring him, to stoop directly below where Citalee had been levitating. Simon struggled to see over everyone to see what she was kneeling over. Then she raised a hand and a small tank filled with water appeared at her side. With a delicate swish of her hand, she tenderly levitated something from the floor and into the tank.

When Simon fought his way close enough to see, he watched as a gorgeous, flowing fish drifted calmly through the water. Everybody crowded around to gape at the fish in wonderment. It had bright, blue, flashing scales and long fins that swayed gracefully in the water. Katherine grinned up at everyone. "See? I told you she'd be okay."


End file.
